Consequences of forest clear-cuts for native and nonindigenous ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Jennifer A. Zettler, Milton D. Taylor, Craig R. Allen, Timothy P. Spira

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

Currently, the southern United States produces more timber than any other region in the world. Entire timber stands are removed through a harvesting method called clear-cutting. This common forestry practice may lead to the replacement of native ant communities with invasive, nonindigenous species. In four deciduous forest sites in South Carolina, we monitored the change in ant species richness, diversity, and abundance immediately after forest clearing for a period of 15 mo to 2 yr and determined the incidence of colonization of the red imported fire ant Solenopsis invicta into these four newly disturbed sites. Each site consisted of an uncut, forested plot and a logged, pine-planted plot. Fire ants were collected in clear-cuts as early as 3 mo postcutting, and by the end of the experiment, they were found in all four treatment sites. Our study is the first to document, through a controlled experiment, that clear-cutting alters ant species assemblages by increasing S. invicta and Pheidole spp. populations and significantly reducing native ant numbers. Long-term studies are needed to assess how replacing native deciduous forests with pine monocultures affects ant assemblages.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)513-518
Number of pages6
JournalAnnals of the Entomological Society of America
Volume97
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2004
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Clear-cutting
  • Forest disturbance
  • Invasive species
  • Logging
  • Solenopsis invicta

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Insect Science

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