Nest-mounds of the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) at the “Alter Gleisberg”, Central Germany: Hot or cold spots in nutrient cycling? |
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| Institution: | 1. Soil Science, Institute for Geography, University of Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, Germany;2. Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany;1. Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, CZ-12801 Prague, Czech Republic;2. Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Zoological Institute, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, D-50674 Cologne, Germany;3. Institute of Microbiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská 1083, CZ-14220 Prague, Czech Republic;1. Institute of Soil Biology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic;2. Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic;3. Department of Mycorrhizal Symbioses, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice, Czech Republic;4. Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic;5. Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, Braunschweig, Germany;6. Nationalpark Harz, Wernigerode, Germany;1. Chair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstraße 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany;2. Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Scharnhorststraße 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany;3. Institute of Biology, Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany;4. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;1. Insect Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, Uttar Pradesh, India;2. Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, Uttar Pradesh, India;1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China;2. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;3. College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China;4. CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi’an 710061, China |
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| Abstract: | Nests of the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) occur at high densities in grasslands worldwide. Although many studies have shown that L. flavus nests influence soil nutrient contents, little is known about their effect on soil nutrient cycling rates. The aim of this study was to examine the role of nest-mounds inhabited by L. flavus as potential ‘hot spots’ for soil nutrient cycling. Six pairs of nest-mounds and control soils were selected at a grassland site at the plateau of the Alter Gleisberg (Thuringia, Central Germany). L. flavus significantly modified the soil environment within the nest. In comparison to the control soils, nest-mounds were characterized by slightly higher soil temperatures during the summer months. In addition, we found that nests were related to decreased potential C mineralization rates and increased potential net N mineralization rates. Nest-mound soil exhibited lower amounts of SOC, hot-water extractable DOC and DN, and higher concentrations of leachable DOC and DN. Moreover, ants promoted the enrichment of base cations in the nest. Differences in the soil environment between nests and control soils were possibly a result of the burrowing activity of ants, soil mixing, accumulation of aphid honeydew, and decreased plant-derived nutrient inputs into the nest-mound soil. In conclusion, L. flavus nest-mounds had a significant but element dependent effect on the soil nutrient cycling and may represent cold spots for C cycling and hot spots for N cycling. Thus, L. flavus nests increase the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties and create unique micro-sites within grassland ecosystems. |
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| Keywords: | Microclimate Soil organic matter Soil chemistry Soil solution chemistry Mineralization |
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