Collaborative Research: Unraveling community patterns in the hyperdiverse ants of Madagascar

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Why is species diversity not evenly distributed over the planet? Some tropical places are called "hotspots" because their local biodiversity greatly exceeds the biodiversity of other regions with similar climates. Madagascar is such a special place, with a tremendous number of species occurring only on this island, distributed within very small geographic areas. Part of the explanation of Madagascar's rich biodiversity is geographic isolation: long isolation from other landmasses has produced unique species across an island with high topographical and ecological diversity. But why do so many of Madagascar's unique species seem to occupy the same ecological role and yet occur side by side? This research will use ant diversity information from Madagascar to understand the processes that drive distribution patterns and organize insect communities. The results will provide insights into how species diversity patterns evolve, enabling us to both decipher the past and allow us to adapt to the future and respond to threats such as deforestation and habitat loss. This scientific study is accompanied by an extensive education plan integrating undergraduate students into a field research and outreach program to raise awareness on forest conservation issues both in Madagascar and the United States, and teach the skills necessary to monitor and conserve forests.To investigate community structure and diversity patterns, as well as potential drivers of community assembly and species endemism, this study will utilize new phylogenomic tools and an unparalleled ecological data set for ants in Madagascar based on field inventories and collections conducted across the region by the researchers over the last 20 years. The objectives are to: (1) Assemble a phylogenomic data set of ultraconserved elements from nearly 1,300 species of Malagasy ants. (2) Combine over 100,000 curated specimen records with climatic niche data to model species distributions for all Malagasy ants at 260 study sites. (3) Analyze and characterize patterns of ant community structure and diversity in Madagascar based on these genetic lineage and community data sets. In particular, the vertical stratification of ant communities in the canopy and leaf litter, as well as diversity along elevational gradients, will be examined. This large-scale community analysis aims to understand factors important in generating and maintaining species distribution patterns and endemism, and will allow us to draw widely applicable conclusions about the role of these patterns in community assembly. Beyond expanding the boundaries of scientific discovery, this research will (4) communicate arthropod, rainforest, and canopy biodiversity by educating public and scientific audiences through internships, workshops, video exhibits, and talks, and create extensive training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. This award is cofunded by the Office of International Science and Engineering.