Abstract
Access to resources depends on an individual’s position within the
environment. This is particularly important to animals that invest heavily in
nest construction, such as social insects. Many ant species have a
polydomous nesting strategy: a single colony inhabits several spatially
separated nests, often exchanging resources between the nests. Different
nests in a polydomous colony potentially have differential access to
resources, but the ecological consequences of this are unclear. In this
study, we investigate how nest survival and budding in polydomous wood
ant (Formica lugubris) colonies are affected by being part of a multi-nest
system. Using field data and novel analytical approaches combining
survival models with dynamic network analysis, we show that the survival
and budding of nests within a polydomous colony is affected by their
position in the nest-network structure. Specifically, we find that the flow of
resources through a nest, which is based on its position within the wider
nest-network, determines a nest’s likelihood of surviving, and of founding
new nests. Our results highlight how apparently disparate entities in a
biological system can be integrated into a functional ecological unit. We
also demonstrate how position within a dynamic network structure can
have important ecological consequences.
environment. This is particularly important to animals that invest heavily in
nest construction, such as social insects. Many ant species have a
polydomous nesting strategy: a single colony inhabits several spatially
separated nests, often exchanging resources between the nests. Different
nests in a polydomous colony potentially have differential access to
resources, but the ecological consequences of this are unclear. In this
study, we investigate how nest survival and budding in polydomous wood
ant (Formica lugubris) colonies are affected by being part of a multi-nest
system. Using field data and novel analytical approaches combining
survival models with dynamic network analysis, we show that the survival
and budding of nests within a polydomous colony is affected by their
position in the nest-network structure. Specifically, we find that the flow of
resources through a nest, which is based on its position within the wider
nest-network, determines a nest’s likelihood of surviving, and of founding
new nests. Our results highlight how apparently disparate entities in a
biological system can be integrated into a functional ecological unit. We
also demonstrate how position within a dynamic network structure can
have important ecological consequences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1170–1180 |
| Journal | Ecology and Evolution |
| Volume | 7 |
| Early online date | 12 Dec 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 24 Jan 2017 |
Keywords
- polydomy
- social organisation
- networks
- biological networks
- foraging
- cooperation
- dynamic networks
- survival analysis
- ants
- wood ants
- social insects
- transport networks
- social networks