Edge Effects on Community and Social Structure of Northern Temperate Deciduous Forest Ants

Table 1

Species composition, frequency, and relative abundance of ants. Frequency is the proportion of samples that contained individuals (in pitfall traps) or nests (on litter plots) of the species. Relative abundance is the proportion of individuals (in pitfall traps) or nests (on litter plots) of the total individuals (𝑛) or nests collected (𝑛). Species that were present in at least 20% of the plots or pitfall samples at either site are highlighted in bold type. In 2003, sampling was conducted on 3 dates, 1 site per date. In 2004, sampling was conducted on 2 dates, 3 sites per date.

Ant species	Interior forest sites				Edge forest sites
	Pitfall	Pitfall	Plot	Plot	Pitfall	Pitfall	Plot	Plot
	Freq.	Rel. Ab.	Freq.	Rel. Ab.	Freq.	Rel. Ab.	Freq.	Rel. Ab.
Sample sizes	450 traps	90 ants	4 plots	25 nests	450 traps	152 ants	4 plots	61 nests
Aphaenogaster rudis	0.44	0.38	0.75	0.56	0.67	0.28	0.75	0.21
Camponotus herculeanus	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.11	0.01	0.00	0.00
Camponotus  nearcticus	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.11	0.01	0.00	0.00
Camponotus  noveboracensis	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.11	0.01	0.00	0.00
Camponotus pennsylvanicus	0.22	0.02	0.00	0.00	0.11	0.64	0.00	0.00
Lasius alienus	0.22	0.52	0.25	0.12	0.22	0.04	0.25	0.07
Lasius nearcticus	0.11	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Myrmica punctiventris	0.22	0.01	0.00	0.00	0.22	0.01	0.25	0.02
Stenamma diecki	0.22	0.04	0.50	0.12	0.11	0.01	0.50	0.57
Temnothorax  longispinosus	0.00	0.00	0.50	0.20	0.00	0.00	0.50	0.13