Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Biodiversity Of Fungi In Red Imported Fire Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Mounds, Jennifer A. Zettler, Thomas M. Mcinnis Jr., Craig R. Allen, Timothy P. Spira

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren, became established in North America more than 70 yr ago, and it currently occupies most of the southeastern United States. Fire ants change the physical and chemical components of soil, which likely infuence soil fungi in ant mounds. To determine the effects of fire ants on soil fungi, we sampled soil from fire ant mounds and the surrounding nonmound soil. In addition, we sampled soil from the nests of the native ant Aphaenogaster texana carolinensis Wheeler. We found that both fire ant mounds and native ant nests had greater fungal abundance but …