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- P-ISSN2765-2203
- E-ISSN2765-2211
- KCI Candidate
Abstract
In this study, the distribution, bait preference, hosts, symbionts, habitat status, and cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I sequences of the ant Linepithema humile were analyzed. This species habitat comprised approximately 1.5 km along stone crevices, flower gardens, roadsides, and container yards in the vicinity of Busan station, Korea. Feeding activity of this species was confirmed in 9 species of 7 families of plants. Which was approximately 14% of total flora (63 species of 37 families) in the studied area. Particularly, it was observed that Dendranthema indicum and Camellia japonica were the most frequently visited. Further, we verified that they interacted with four species of aphids. We identified 22 species of ants (17 genera, 4 subfamilies) inhabiting the Busan station area, including L. humile, Tetramorium tsushimae, Nylanderia flavipes and the alien species Paratrechina longicornis. In areas where L. humile was the dominant species, the habitat of local native ants was reduced by approximately 30%. Bait preference was ranked in the following order: jelly, water with glucose (25%), and yogurt, with the highest preference for baits containing sugar and protein. The 630-bp cytochrome c oxidase subunit-I sequences of the local L. humile populations were 99% identical to those of L. humile in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database, and the Argentine ants that invaded Korea had a sequence identical to that of other invasive populations from China, Japan, and New Zealand. As L. humile rapidly increases due to domestic adaptation, continuous monitoring and control strategy for eradication are needed to protect domestic biodiversity.
Abstract
Hulunbuir steppe, one of the four largest steppes in China, has experienced rapidly progressing desertification partly due to overgrazing by livestock. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of various vegetation recovery methods, including the selection of unpalatable plants less affected by grazing livestock. To determine livestock grazing preferences at Hulunbuir restoration sites, we used DNA barcoding methods to analyze fecal materials of horses and cattle grazing on four restored plants: two trees (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica and Populus canadensis) and two shrubs (Caragana microphylla and Corethrodendron fruticosum). Neither of the two tree species were detected in livestock feces, whereas both shrub species were detected at low frequencies. There were no significant differences in compositions of species consumed by horses and cattle except that Asteraceae species were more often consumed by cattle. Our results showed that the four plants used for restoration may be classified as unpalatable or less palatable species in the Hulunbuir restoration area. Our results may help inform restoration strategies implemented in restoration areas, especially regarding negative effects of livestock grazing during the initial stage of restoration in Hulunbuir.
