Collaborative Research: Experimental community assembly in natural and disturbed ecosystems: testing the role of ecological sorting in ant community assembly

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The combined effects of habitat disturbance and associated invasive species are perhaps the most important and pervasive threat to terrestrial biodiversity. Invasive animal species are typically associated with habitat disturbance, but the causes of this association are poorly understood. The experiments funded by this grant will use both the invasive fire ant and native U.S. ants as a model to dissect and identify the particular features of ant life history, such as habitat selection, that appear to adapt invasive ants to human-modified habitats and native ants to natural habitats. The experiments will thus determine how habitat disturbance favors the fire ant but not native ants. Because a large proportion of invasive species are favored by ecological disturbance, results will have great relevance to understanding invasive animals, will provide data necessary to model invasion dynamics, and may contribute to strategies for mitigating the negative effects of many invasive species. This research has a significant educational component as it is ideally suited to training both undergraduate and graduate students in organismal biology and ecology. Two graduate students from underrepresented groups and numerous undergraduates will be trained and actively involved in the research. Results will also be used to increase local public awareness of the issue of invasive species and habitat disturbance, emphasizing the role, prevalence, and importance of ecological disturbance in our southeastern coastal plains forest, a national treasure of biodiversity. 'Research weekends' will be offered to middle and high school students in which they will learn about Florida longleaf pine forest ecology and engage in the research project. An interactive exhibit will also be installed in a local natural history museum.