Ants’ nesting activity as a factor of changes in soil physical properties

Abstract

Abstract In the process of nesting activity ants change the physical characteristics of the soil. We studied penetration resistance of ants’ nests, their temperature regime and particle size distribution for the nests of three soil-dwelling ants species (Lasius niger, L. flavus and Formica cunicularia). Control sites were located in different regions of Russia (Ryazan region and Arkhangelsk region) on different soils (post-agro-sod-podzol gley sandy loam on alluvial-deluvial sediments in Ryazan region and developed sod-podzolic, light loamy soil on the moraine in Arkhangelsk region). So we found out that ants can reduce the penetration resistance of the soil by 8 times compared to the control (66 kPa in control soil and 7,8 kPa in ants nests). The temperature regime of anthills is more aligned and the average temperature of ants nest was lower than in the control (21,4 °C in the control soil mound and from 20,8 °C to 17,7 °C in ants nests depending on their species). The particle size distribution, by contrast, was more variable compared to the control.