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Ecology of ants along elevational rainforest gradients in the tropics
MOSES, Jimmy
The thesis investigates the community ecology and species diversity of tropical ants on tropical mountains. The primary focus is on the changes in the ground-dwelling ant communities along elevational rainforest gradients, and how their elevational patterns are influenced by various biotic and abiotic factors. First, we investigated how elevation, leaf litter depth and their interaction affect the abundance, species richness and composition of ground-dwelling ants on Mt. Wilhelm (Papua New Guinea). Next, we investigated how ant communities change with forest succession in time along an extensive tropical elevational gradient in Southern Papua New Guinea. The aim was to assess both spatial and temporal trends in the ant communities and whether these changes could serve as indicators towards ecological recovery after human-induced forest disturbance. Finally, we assessed the relationships of ant species richness and activity, and their relative use of six nutrients, with elevation and season in three different tropical mountain regions (New Guinea,Tanzania and Ecuador).
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Mechanisms structuring arboreal ant communities along ecological gradients in New Guinea rainforests
PLOWMAN, Nichola Sarah
The thesis explores the community ecology and diversity of tropical ants, with a strong focus on the arboreal ants of Papua New Guinea rainforests. The aim was to investigate the drivers of community structure in these diverse communities, and how these change along the ecological gradients of elevation and forest succession. Using unique datasets from censuses of whole forest plots at low, mid and high elevation forests, the effects of vegetation structure and nest microhabitat use on ant community structure and diversity are compared across elevations. Furthermore, a community study of an understorey ant-plant mutualism was undertaken to explore elevational changes in interaction networks and the costs and benefits of mutualistic interaction. For lowland primary and secondary forest, taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of arboreal ant communities were quantified. In addition, aspects of the methodology of community functional diversity studies are examined, and suggested improvements to data handling in cases where full datasets are not available are discussed.
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