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Evidence of sodium limitation in ants and termites in a Neotropical savanna

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2022

Natalie A. Clay ,
Donald B. Shepard ,
Adrian A. Garda ,
Daniel O. Mesquita  and
Alexandre Vasconcellos
Natalie A. Clay*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA71272, U.S.A
Donald B. Shepard
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA71272, U.S.A
Adrian A. Garda
Affiliation:
Department of Botany and Zoology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
Daniel O. Mesquita
Affiliation:
Department of Systematics and Ecology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
Alexandre Vasconcellos
Affiliation:
Department of Systematics and Ecology, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: Natalie A. Clay, Email: nclay@latech.edu
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Abstract

Nutritional ecology of ropical ecosystems like Neotropical savannas, which are of high conservation concern, is understudied. Sodium is essential for heterotrophs but availability often falls short relative to plant consumer requirements. Savanna plant consumers like ants and termites should be sodium-limited due to high temperatures, nutrient-poor soils, and lack of oceanic sodium deposition. We tested the hypothesis that Neotropical savanna ants and termites are sodium-limited. Termites were tested by supplementing 0.25 m2 plots with H2O (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, or 1.0% NaCl and measuring termite presence and artificial substrate mass loss after 1 week. Ants were tested by collecting ants that recruited to H2O (control), 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% NaCl and 1.0%, 10%, and 20% sugar baits on paired diurnal–nocturnal transects. Termites were 16 times more likely to occur on 1% NaCl than H2O plots and wood-feeding termites were most frequent. However, the decomposition rate did not differ among treatments. Ant bait use increased with increasing NaCl concentration and 1% NaCl usage was similar to sugar bait usage. Ants were 3.7 times more active nocturnally than diurnally, but contrary to predictions bait type (water, sugar or NaCl) usage did not differ between day and night. Together, these results provide strong evidence of sodium limitation in Neotropical savannas.

Keywords

BlattodeaCerradoFormicidaeIsopteranocturnalnutritional ecologysaltsemi arid
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , March 2022 , pp. 71 - 78
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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