Ant Assemblages in Hemlock Removal Experiment at Harvard Forest since 2003

Ants comprise a considerable amount of animal biomass in terrestrial ecosystems and play major roles in ecological processes ranging from seed dispersal to soil turnover. Invasion by the hemlock woolly adelgid will transform late-successional hemlock forests into earlier successional mixed hardwood - white pine forests or red-maple wetlands. Understanding how ant assemblages vary in different habitat types allows for predictions of how hemlock decline could alter the composition of ant assemblages, with implications for a wide range of ecosystem processes. As part of the Hemlock Removal Experiment at the Simes Tract, we annually monitor ant species composition and abundance.