Affiliation:
1. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa Mexico
2. Instituto de Biotecnología y Ecología Aplicada Universidad Veracruzana Xalapa Mexico
Abstract
Abstract
Little is known about the activity of leaf‐cutter ants such as Atta mexicana in urban environments.
This study evaluated the soil nutrient concentration of A. mexicana nests and waste dumps compared with adjacent soils to the nests as a control in a Neotropical urban environment.
The high nutrient concentration values in waste dumps, such as total C (360%), total N (340%), ammonium (900%) and nitrate (270%) higher than those found in the adjacent soils, except for total P, P‐Bray and sulphates, indicate that A. mexicana waste dumps may be hot spots of high nutrient concentrations in surface soil of an urban ecosystem.