Effect of experimental small-scale spatial heterogeneity on resource use of a Mediterranean ground-ant community

Small-scale habitat complexity has been shown to influence interspecific competition and resource use in ant communities. Nevertheless, in Mediterranean communities, where temperature variations have a stronger effect on the foraging of subordinate species than competition by dominants, the effect of small-scale habitat complexity on resource use by ants is unknown. We investigated the influence of an experimental spatial mosaic of microhabitats (interior, edge and open) on the dynamics of resource use in a guild of ants of a Mediterranean grassland. We used baits containing one of three food resource types (honey, tuna and seeds) placed in the different microhabitats. Variation in resource use among microhabitats appears to result from differential responses among ant species to small-scale spatial heterogeneity. Analysis of frequency of occurrence, number of foragers and monopoly at baits of ant species indicated that the resource use and recruitment intensity was modified by microhabitat, once the effect of temperature was removed from the analysis. Thus, foraging activity and competitive interactions of ant species were influenced by the different microhabitats apart from temperature, which suggests an effect of small-scale structural complexity. Small-scale spatial variations in structural complexity have an effect in resource use by most ants in this system that is not wholly explained by differences in temperature. Finally, this suggests that microhabitat may be one factor influencing the outcome of the dominance hierarchies.