Hibernation Conditions Contribute to the Differential Resistance to Cadmium between Urban and Forest Ant Colonies.

ABSTRACT: Trace metals such as cadmium are found in high concentrations in urban environments. Animal and plant populations living in heavily contaminated environments could adapt to trace metals exposure. A recent study shows that urban populations of the acorn ant Temnothorax nylanderi are more resistant to cadmium than their forest counterparts. However, this study was performed using field colonies that had just come out of hibernation. Because urban and forest hibernation environments differ, the differential resistance to trace metals may originate either from differential hibernation conditions or from a different resistance baseline to cadmium. In this study, we tested these two hypotheses using laboratory common garden hibernation conditions. We let urban and forest colonies of the ant T. n

SUBMITTER: Jacquier L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8068307 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature