Urban Ecology is an increasingly important field as we look to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban spaces. In this study we focus on ants as indicators of ecosystem function. The primary goal of this study is to survey the effects of inter urban habitats like medians, sidewalks and right of ways on ant species richness. Ant species richness was sampled on a large and fine scale in Ann Arbor. The large scale consisted of a grid with thirty points across the city limits, two kilometers apart. The small scale sampling consisted of thirty points fifty meters apart. Ants were systematically sampled with tuna baits and timed searches in vegetation, trees, and pathways. Spatial analysis as done in ARC GIS Desktop. We classified LIDAR data, digitized sample observations, and analyzed Ann Arbor parcel data in comparison to species richness.
Results/Conclusions
A positive relationship was found between canopy cover and ant species richness in a spatially explicit model. In this experiment our question of co-occurrence of ant species richness and urban landscape classifications is the precursor to understanding the variety of spatial stratification patterns in urban areas that are essential to predicting ecological processes. Our data suggest that increasing trees in urban areas, even when surrounded by impervious surface, may significantly increase species richness of ants and other invertebrates. These results can inform urban planners, architects and citizens as to what landuse types may support a variety of ant species, many of which provide important ecosystem services.