Ants disperse seeds farther in habitat patches with corridors

Habitat fragmentation impacts ecosystems worldwide through habitat loss, reduced connectivity, and edge effects. Yet, these landscape factors are often confounded, leaving much to be investigated about their relative effects, especially on species interactions. In a landscape experiment, we investigated the consequences of connectivity and edge effects for seed dispersal by ants. We found that ants dispersed seeds farther in habitat patches connected by corridors, but only in patch centers. We did not see an effect on the total number of seeds moved or the rate ants detected seeds. Furthermore, we did not see any differences in ant community composition across patch types, suggesting that shifts in ant behavior or other factors increased ant seed dispersal in patches connected by corridors. Long-distance seed dispersal by ants that requires an accumulation of short-distance dispersal events over generations may be an underappreciated mechanism through which corridors increase plant diversity.

Automated summary

Habitat fragmentation can impact ecosystems through habitat loss, reduced connectivity, and edge effects. This study investigated the consequences of connectivity and edge effects on seed dispersal by ants. The results showed that ants dispersed seeds farther in habitat patches connected by corridors, particularly in patch centers. However, there was no effect on the total number of seeds moved or the rate at which ants detected seeds. The composition of ant communities also did not differ across patch types.