COS 39-5
The frequency of water stress among ants in northwestern Ohio
The northwestern corridor of Ohio encompassing Toledo, Bowling Green, and the Oak Openings region is one of the most diverse regions in the state and one of the most disturbed. Agriculture and urbanization continue to alter the geography and ecology of the area. One unexplored factor is whether or not urbanization might lead to animal water stress in this cool mesic region of the US.
We compared the frequency of ant water limitation behavior to that of other arthropods across a gradient of urbanization in NW Ohio by repeatedly observing wet and dry water pillows (pouches filled with a hydrated polymer to provide moisture to arthropods). Soil moisture was collected at the time of pillow placement. Subjects were photographed, recorded, and later classified based on dichotomous keys. Samples took place at regular intervals between June and August 2013.
Results/Conclusions
We found that ants were present on wet pillows an average 8% of sampling dates versus 3% on dry pillows, suggesting the existence of water stress behavior among ants in this cool, mesic region. All arthropods were found on wet pillows 21% of the time, so roughly 38% of water stress response in arthropods could be attributed to ants alone. Overall, this suggests that ants in the NW Ohio region are one of the more commonly stressed groups of arthropods. Considering the major roles ants play in ecosystem structure and function, our observation that ants are water stressed in this mesic region could have important implications.