Not form a smooth profile just like the water table or surface elevation. In some cases, the hardened brown layer was underlain by pure white sand, occasionally below the water table. It seems most likely that the place of this deposition layer was related to the water table, but what that partnership may possibly be is at present not clear. Discussion Moisture availability, governed largely by depth to water table, significantly impacts the PubMed ID:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20142977 standing biomass and species richness of plants in longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystems since water is as limiting or additional limiting than nutrient availability (Kirkman et al. 2001, Ford et al. 2008). Specifically, wet-mesic internet sites assistance greater floristic diversity and aboveground biomass than drier, upland web-sites (Kirkman et al. 2001, Ford et al. 2008). Ant abundance, having said that, seems to become highest in the web-sites close to for the water table (lowermedium), but not the shallowest web sites (Figures three, four). This suggests that ground-dwelling ant productivity is linked to total ecosystem productivity in these web pages, but most species are restricted by a water table near for the surface. Therefore, depth to water table is among the major elements accountable for distribution patterns in each ants and plants, using the exception that ants are strongly constrained by the wettest web-sites (exactly where plants aren’t). Certainly, water infiltration from under would constrain dwelling and rearing offspring in a subterranean nest. Beyond this uncomplicated generality, various species-specific patterns emerged. Well over half in the 27 extra abundant ant species had been drastically additional abundant inJournal of Insect Science | www.insectscience.orgJournal of Insect Science: Vol. 12 | Report 114 some parts with the transects than in others. Quite a few were entirely absent from either the highest or lowest places. The transects represented gradients of depth to groundwater, vegetation, shading, elevation, soil differences, litter along with other correlated functions. The patterns of ant distributions therefore correlate having a variety of features, the majority of which correlate with each other. How can the causal aspect(s) from this cafeteria of possibilities be teased out To which function(s) with the habitat would be the ants responding, either by selections made by colonyfounding queens, migration, or differential survival of colonies It seems doubtful that the species composition on the vegetation itself is essential. Gallberry vs. staggerbush might not matter. More likely, the vegetation creates a range of microhabitats of temperature, moisture, and food resources (for instance insect prey) that cause the patterned abundance of the ant species. In addition, each the ants plus the vegetation are likely responding directly to the depth to the water table. The vegetation gradient represents plants that variety from of course wetland or wetland boundary plants, to these that tolerate really xeric conditions or are intolerant of moist conditions (i.e., Opuntia sp.). At the very least some ants, if not responding directly to the plant cover, are almost BCTC Certainly responding directly to the depth to groundwater since the nests they ordinarily excavate will be truncated by the water table. Some sandhill ant species, including S. geminata, D. bureni, and Prenolepis imparis, excavate nests which can be four m or much more deep (Tschinkel 1987; Tschinkel 2003; unpublished information). These species are entirely absent in the flatwoods where the water table lurks in no way more than 2 m below ground. The Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius, alth.
