The species-area relationship in ant ecology

The positive relationship between species richness and area is a key principal in ecology and is known as the species-area relationship (SAR). Previous studies show systemic variation in the SAR across multiple taxa indicating a need for a single-taxon approach. Understanding how biodiversity scales across area is important in light of anthropogenic-induced loss of biodiversity. Ants are an ideal taxon for studying the SAR given their global distribution and roles as ecosystem engineers. This study: (1) quantified differences between insular and mainland SARs, (2) investigated if abiotic variables influence the slope of the SAR, and (3) sought a general slope in ants. Our results reveal three patterns. First, mainland SARs had steeper slopes than insular ones. Second, there was a negative correlation between slope values and precipitation. Finally, a general slope of 0.19, a value lower than other studies, was observed for insular systems when accounting for different biogeographical realms. These results demonstrate that SARs are influenced by area, habitat diversity, and differences between biogeographical realms. We sugest areas of future improvement, including gaps in available data, the need for characterizing high-resolution habitatdiversity data, and teasing out the effects of non-native ants on insular systems, so as to better understand the drivers behind the species-area relationship. Many of these suggestions pertain to other taxa as well. Understanding how biodiversity scales across area will aid in predicting and conserving biodiversity.