Using ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as indicators of restoration success in temperate grasslands

There is a distinct lack of knowledge with regards to the existing ant communities in northern tallgrass prairies. Their role in determining prairie restoration success needs to be further explored. The project objectives are: 1) establish a record of species occurrence and document ant community structure and composition in tall grass prairies of eastern South Dakota; 2) determine if community composition differs between remnant and reconstructed tallgrass prairies; 3) determine if diversity of planting affects community structure and composition; and 4) develop and test a quick survey method using ants as bio-indicators of relative success in the reconstruction of tall grass prairies. Two sampling methods were used; pitfall traps and ramp traps. Data were taken from a remnant prairie and 1, 2, and 3 year-old reconstructions. Of the 32 species of ants historically reported from all habitat types in the four county area sampled, 18 species specific to grasslands have been documented from the study sites. Sites were evaluated for abundance, and species richness to provide a comparison of different aged reconstructions to remnant prairie. Although there were not obvious differences in species diversity, species abundance and composition differed between sites. Our data add information on ant diversity in native grassland remnants, and provide updated data on ant diversity in the reconstructed tall grass prairies of the northern Great Plains.  Further, we provide a baseline to assess faunal responses to habitat changes due to disturbance events and the potential use of ants as indicators in future prairie restoration programs.