Epiphytic myrmecophyte distribution along an altitudinal gradient in Papua New Guinea and their role in ant mosaics M. Leponce1 , J. Jacquemin1 & P. Klimes2,3 1Biodiversity Monitoring & Assessment, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium (Maurice.Leponce@naturalsciences.be); 2 Biology Centre of ASCR, Czech Republic; 3Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. In Papua New Guinea, ants of the genera Philidris, Anonychomyrma, Monomorium are found in epiphytic myrmecophytes of the genera Myrmecodia and Hydnophytum. Several myrmecophytes are found in the same tree and accomodate a high ant population. This omnipresence in some tree canopies allow these ants to be potential actors of ant mosaics. Ants mosaics refer to mutual exclusion of numerically dominant ants from tree tops and are a common feature of tree plantations and lowland tropical forests. Our aim was to verify if ants associated with myrmecophytes were found co-occurring with typical dominant ants (e.g. Oecophylla smaragdina and Crematogaster polita) and if the interaction between dominant canopy ants was affected by elevation. We mapped the distribution of numerically dominant ant colonies, often spreading on several neighbour trees, in ¼ ha plots distributed between 200 and 2700m asl along Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea. Ants were captured at tuna/honey baits spread along tree trunks from the ground to the top of canopy trees. Epiphytic myrmecophyte were collected by climbing or by using a balloon. In lowland forests (200-700m) Crematogaster polita large carton nests were omnipresent and often formed supercolonies. Other major players were Oecophylla smaragdina nesting in leaves and Anonychomyrma cf scrutator nesting in live plant tissues. Ants associated with myrmecophytes were never found co-occuring with these dominant ants. At mid-elevation (1200-1700m) dominant ants were Anonychomyrma spp. and two species found in myrmecophytes (Monomorium sp. nov. aff. edentatum and Philidris cf. cordata). At 2200m ants found in the canopy (e.g. Ancyridris, Pheidole) were probably living in suspended soil. No ants were observed in the canopy above 2700m. With increasing elevation it seems that there is a progressive filtering of the most abundant arboreal ant species. Typical territorial ants, living in carton or leaf nests are eliminated first. At mid-elevation epiphytic myrmecophytes allow to maintain high ant populations in trees. At high elevation only species nesting in suspended organic matter remain.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
Geoscience, and understanding Earth’s systems, is essential to provide the resources we need while maintaining a habitable environment, contributing towards a more sustainable society. Resources from the subsurface: groundwater, geo-energy and raw materials, represent essential elements for society. Strong and integrated geological knowledge and expertise is essential to acquire data and transform it into reliable and functional information to underpin the continued development and growth of humankind. At the national and regional level, public authorities across Europe and globally have recognized these needs, leading to the establishment of Geological Survey Organizations (GSOs). In response to growing requests for pan-European data, intensified collaboration amongst GSOs, under the umbrella organization EuroGeoSurveys, recently led to the launch of the ERA-NET Cofund Action GeoERA: “Establishing the European Geological Surveys Research Area to deliver a Geological Service for Europe”. GeoERA – a demonstrator project for a Geological Service for Europe (2017-2021) – is a 30M EUR programme supported by 45 national and regional GSOs from 33 countries in Europe. It contributes to the sustainable use of the subsurface by delivering expertise, data and information to policy and decision makers through a single access point, based on the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI). GeoERA and EGDI are both initiatives of EuroGeoSurveys (EGS), an international non-profit organization representing the national GSOs from 36 European countries. Equipped with additional support from the European Commission, the GSOs intend to establish a Geological Service for Europe (GS4E) that builds on the ongoing GeoERA projects and is tailored to suit the dynamic needs of society, policy and decision makers. The mission of a Geological Service for Europe represents a robust and sustainable single access point to pan-European, harmonized and interoperable expertise, geoscientific data and information, through increased collaboration of the Geological Survey Organizations within Europe. This GS4E will provide the European Commission and other stakeholders with open access to relevant and fair subsurface knowledge, represented in pan-European maps and RDI projects/publications, to support decision making and sustainable use of the subsurface. It will address the Sustainable Development Goals related to the Earth system through delivering expertise, data and information to assess our water resources, assess and develop affordable and clean energy, support sustainable economic growth and employment, support innovation in subsurface management, assess risks of subsurface use that can jeopardize safe and resilient cities, minimize and mitigate climate change impacts and support research on sustainable alternatives. The GS4E may also contribute to the so-called adaptation needs, that is, anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimize the damage they can cause, or taking advantage of opportunities that may arise. A well planned, early adaptation action will contribute to economic development through reducing imports of energy and mineral resources, increasing resilience and reducing the impact of extreme natural events, securing and enhancing safety in a long-term strategy on use of scarce water resources and improved land-use planning.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Archicebus achilles and Teilhardina belgica are among the earliest Eocene primates so knowledge of their paleobiology is crucial to our understanding of early primate evolution. Since body mass is often a key to evaluating other important aspects of paleobiology determination of the likely body mass of these early primate taxa is a significant task for paleoprimatologists. These particular taxa pose several interesting problems for body mass estimation. First, they are at the far small end of body size distribution of living primates. Secondly, they are not nested within any family of living primates but lie at or near the base of the tarsiiform radiation. Thirdly, their nearest living relatives (tarsiers) are highly derived dentally, cranially, and postcranially. All of these raise the question of how to choose an appropriate reference group. In addition Archicebus, although represented by many skeletal elements, is a sample of one while Teilhardina is represented by more individuals but fewer different skeletal elements. Using samples of extant strepsirhines, tarsiers, and anthropoids to construct bivariate and multiple regression models we investigated the effects of choice of reference population (different size ranges and different phylogenetic groups) on estimates of body mass in these fossil taxa. We conclude that even the best statistical estimates have wide confidence intervals which need to be taken into account if body mass is used to predict other aspects of the fossil taxon’s behavior and ecology.
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