Leafcutter Ant Nests Inhibit Low-Intensity Fire Spread in the Understory of Transitional Forests at the Amazon's Forest-Savanna Boundary
Joint Authors
Carvalho, Karine S.
Moutinho, Paulo
Alencar, Ane
Balch, Jennifer
Source
Issue
Vol. 2012, Issue 2012 (31 Dec. 2012), pp.1-7, 7 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2011-07-28
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
7
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Leaf-cutter ants (Atta spp.) remove leaf litter and woody debris—potential fuels—in and around their nests and foraging trails.
We conducted single and three annual experimental fires to determine the effects of this leaf-cutter ant activity on the behavior of low-intensity, slow-moving fires.
In a transitional forest, where the southern Amazon forest meets the Brazilian savanna, we tested whether leaf-cutter ant nests and trails (i) inhibit fire spread due to a lack of fuels, and (ii), thereby, reduce the total burned area during these experimental low-intensity fires, particularly at forest edges where leaf-cutter ant abundance was higher.
Fine-medium fuel mass increased with an increase in distance from ant nest, and the mean area of bare soil was greater on nests than on the forest floor.
Between 60 to 90 percent of the unburned area was within 30 m of ant nests, and burned area significantly increased with increasing distance to ant nests.
In addition, the number of ant nests declined with increasing distance from the forest edge, and, with exception of the first experimental fire, burned area also increased with increasing distance from the edge.
The present study provides new insight to fire ecology in Amazon environments.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Carvalho, Karine S.& Alencar, Ane& Balch, Jennifer& Moutinho, Paulo. 2011. Leafcutter Ant Nests Inhibit Low-Intensity Fire Spread in the Understory of Transitional Forests at the Amazon's Forest-Savanna Boundary. Psyche،Vol. 2012, no. 2012, pp.1-7.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-497443
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Carvalho, Karine S.…[et al.]. Leafcutter Ant Nests Inhibit Low-Intensity Fire Spread in the Understory of Transitional Forests at the Amazon's Forest-Savanna Boundary. Psyche No. 2012 (2012), pp.1-7.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-497443
American Medical Association (AMA)
Carvalho, Karine S.& Alencar, Ane& Balch, Jennifer& Moutinho, Paulo. Leafcutter Ant Nests Inhibit Low-Intensity Fire Spread in the Understory of Transitional Forests at the Amazon's Forest-Savanna Boundary. Psyche. 2011. Vol. 2012, no. 2012, pp.1-7.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-497443
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-497443