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1、+第四十六篇AntsHaveBigImpactonEnvironmentas"EcosystemEngineers" ResearchbytheUniversityofExeter1hasrevealedthatantshaveabigimpactontheirlocalenvironmentasaresultoftheiractivityas"ecosystemengineers"andpredators.Thestudy,publishedintheJournalofAnimalEcology,foundthatantshavetwodistinct
2、effectsontheirlocalenvironment. Firstly,throughmovingofsoilbynestbuilding2activityandbycollectingfoodtheyaffectthelevelofnutrientsinthesoil.Thiscanindirectlyimpactthelocalpopulationsofmanyanimalgroups,fromdecomposerstospeciesmuchhigherupthefoodchain. Secondly,theypreyonawiderang
3、eofotheranimals,includinglargerpreywhichcanbeattackedbyvastnumbersofantworkers. DirkSanders,anauthorofthestudyfromtheuniversity'sCentreforEcologyandConservation,said:"Antsareveryeffectivepredatorswhichthriveinhugenumbers.They'realsoveryterritorial3andveryaggressive,defendingtheir
4、resourcesandterritoryagainstotherpredators.Allofthismeanstheyhaveastronginfluenceontheirsurroundingarea." "Inthisresearch,westudiedforthefirsttimehowbigthisimpactisandthesubtletiesofit.Whatwefoundisthatdespitebeingpredators,theirpresencecanalsoleadtoanincreaseindensityanddiversit
5、yofotheranimalgroups4.Theygenuinelyplayakeyroleinthelocalenvironment,havingabiginfluenceonthegrasslandfoodweb,"Sanderssaid. Thestudy,carriedoutinGermany,studiedtheimpactofthepresenceofdifferentcombinationsanddensitiesofblackgardenantsandcommonredants,bothspecieswhichcanbefoundacr
6、ossEurope,includingintheUK.Itfoundthatalowdensityofantsinanareaincreasedthediversityanddensityofotheranimalsinthelocalarea,particularlythedensityofherbivoresanddecomposers.Athigherdensitiesantshadnoortheoppositeeffect,showingthatpredationiscounteractingthepositiveinfluence. DrFra
7、nkvanVeen,anotherauthoronthestudy,said:"Whatwefindisthattheimpactofantsonsoilnutrientlevelshasapositiveeffectonanimalgroupsatlowlevels,butasthenumberofantsincreases,theirpredatoryimpactshavethebiggereffect—therebycounteractingthepositiveinfluenceviaecosystemengineering." Antsarei
8、mportantcomponentsofecosystemsnot
