Estimating the Taxonomic Richness and Functional Structure of Ant Communities in Olive Groves of (…)

ABSTRACT

Ants are indicators of habitat disturbance and key providers of ecological services and disservices to agricultural activities. We assessed species richness and functional structure of ant communities in olive groves of the Kabylia region, in northern Algeria. We compared three sampling methods (pitfall traps, hand capture, and bait traps) in four orchards with different elevations. We identified 53 ant species belonging to 17 genera and four subfamilies: Dorylinae, Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, and Myrmicinae. Species richness varied among orchards from 24 to 30, with species accumulation curves suggesting satisfactory coverage at all sites. Hand capture had the highest success per effort, while baits performed the worst. Overall, Kabylia's olive groves were richer in species than many Mediterranean agricultural and even some natural habitats documented in the literature, revealing relatively high ant diversity. Ants were classified into eight functional groups, with an overall composition comparable to similar studies conducted in southern Europe. Hot Climate Specialists, Generalised Myrmicinae, and Opportunists dominated, highlighting the role of thermal stress on the functional composition of the ant communities in the study sites. Many detected species may contribute to key ecological services, including soil enrichment and biological control of weeds and insects.