Animal Diversity and Biogeography of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin

0507212 - BC 2020 RIV CH eng M - Monography Chapter
Janda, Milan - Rosas-Mejía, M. - Corcuera, P. - Aguilar-Méndez, J. - Vásquez-Bolanos, M. - Tofoya-Alvarado, Y.
Diversity and community structure of ants in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico.
Animal Diversity and Biogeography of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Basel: Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2019 - (Álvarez, F.; Ojeda, M.), s. 129-145. ISBN 978-3-030-11261-5
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GB14-36098G
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : life strategies * assemblage
OECD category: Entomology

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are one of the most conspicuous invertebrates in the arid and semiarid ecosystems. Thanks to their diverse life strategies and high abundance, they participated in many interactions with other plants and animals and can considerably alter the local ecosystem. Here, we surveyed the ant assemblage of Churince in Cuatro Ciénegas Basin for the first time. We describe species diversity, community structure and habitat associations along environmental gradient between the grasslands and gypsum desert. The ant fauna is typical of semi-desert area, with several species shared with arid areas of Arizona and Texas. The ant communities are dominated by species from genera Crematogaster, Myrmecocystus, Pogonomyrmex and Forelius. The unique environmental settings of Cuatro Ciénegas allow coexistence of several distinct ant communities at relatively small area.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0302101