Ant biodiversity in pine-hardwood forests of central Alabama

The northeast portion of Alabama is located at the southern end of the Piedmont region of the United States. The Piedmont region is located between the Atlantic coastal plain and the Appalachian Mountains and is an ecological “matrix” of vegetation across the region. Once dominated by grasslands, it is now predominantly pine-hardwood forests. These regions have experienced heavy pressure from agriculture but relatively recently groups have made efforts to improve habitat conservation. Given that pine-hardwood forests in Alabama lie between the Appalachian Mountains and the coastal plains, there is potential for the ant community to be a diverse transition zone between regions. However, little work explores the biodiversity of native ants in Alabama. To document the native ant species common to the region, we sampled the ant community from ten pine-hardwood forests in central Alabama, USA. Sampling consisted of pitfalls, litter samples, and bait sampling, from June to August. All ants were counted and identified to species. From 600 pitfalls, 30 litter samples, and 900 baits we collected over 15,794 ants. We also found that even in relatively undisturbed forests the presence of the red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) at four of the ten sites. Despite the presence of fire ants in the region forests retain native species and are likely important sources for recolonizing surrounding habitats set aside for conservation purposes. Future work will explore the ecological interactions between native ants and S. invicta.