Ant species diversity in the 'Grands Causses' (Aveyron, France): In search of sampling methods adapted to temperate climates.
This study aimed at showing the applicability of using a combination of four sampling methods (i.e., Winkler extractors, pitfall traps, baiting and manual collection), something most often conducted in the tropics, to create an inventory of ant species diversity in temperate environments. We recorded a total of 33 ant species in the Grands Causses by comparing three vegetal formations: a steppic lawn ('causse' sensu stricto), which was the most species-rich (29 species), followed by an oak grove (22 species) and a pine forest (17 species). No sampling method alone is efficient enough to provide an adequate sampling, but their combination permits one to make a suitable inventory of the myrmecofauna and to obtain information on the ecology of these ant species.
Groc
Sarah
S
Laboratoire d'évolution et diversité biologique (UMR CNRS 5174), université Toulouse-3, bâtiment 4R3, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France.
Delabie
Jacques H C
JH
Céréghino
Régis
R
Orivel
Jérôme
J
Jaladeau
Frédéric
F
Grangier
Julien
J
Mariano
Cléa S F
CS
Dejean
Alain
A
D000531:Altitude; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000145:classification*; D015982:Bias; D044822:Biodiversity; D002980:Climate; D005602:France; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D018401:Sample Size