Urbanization strengthens vertical stratification of ant nutrient preferences in a temperate forest ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Resource and nutrient availability varies spatially and influences animal foraging patterns. Under the compensation hypothesis, animals should preferentially forage for the most limiting nutrient in the environment. Animal nutrient preferences have been well studied in the tropics, where terrestrial and arboreal fauna are clearly differentiated and limited by different nutrients. In temperate forests, vertical stratification of the fauna may be less pronounced and its role in foraging ecology is poorly understood. Here, we examine nutrient preference patterns over a vertical gradient in temperate forests and nearby urban centers in North Carolina, USA. Using a bait-choice experiment and novel bait design, we measured ant community nutrient preferences in the canopy and on the ground of 83

SUBMITTER: Kirchner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11952225 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature