This study examines the impacts of European fire ants on arboreal insect abundance and diversity in Acadia National Park, Maine. Abundance and diversity were quantified via arboreal pitfall traps that were checked every three days for 21 days from May to June 2009. In areas infested with European fire ants, arboreal insect abundance declined, but arboreal insect species richness remained unchanged. This study illustrates the importance of examining the ecological links between canopies and leaf litter and demonstrates the breadth of impacts that biological invasions can have in an ecosystem.
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1 April 2016
European Fire Ant Presence Decreases Native Arboreal Insect Abundance in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA
Robin Verble-Pearson,
Seth Pearson
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Natural Areas Journal
Vol. 36 • No. 2
April 2016
Vol. 36 • No. 2
April 2016
community ecology
exotic
Formicidae
invasive species
Myrmica rubra