ANT COMPOSITION AND ACTIVITY IN NATURALLY-VEGETATED AND FARMLAND ENVIRONMENTS ON CONTRASTING SOILS AT KELLERBERRIN, WESTERN-AUSTRALIA

Two techniques, namely pitfall trapping and mapping of ant nests, were used in a study in Durokoppin reserve and surrounding farmland to det ermine the ant composition and activity in agricultural and naturally- vegetated land on two contrasting soils. The ant communities of variou s land use-soil type combinations are described as well as the seasona l fluctuations in ant foraging and nest-building activity. Ant fauna i n the Kellerberrin area of Western Australia are highly diverse with 1 07 species recorded in the Durokoppin reserve and surrounding farmland . In wandoo (Eucalyptus capillosa) woodland on grey sandy loam soils t here were 89 ant species and in mixed heath habitats on yellow sand so ils there were 65 ant species. On equivalent soils in farmland, there were around 30 ant species. However, ant activity and next density wer e similar in native vegetation and in farmland when on the same soil t ype. For instance in the reserve and in the farmland on yellow sand ne st density was 1.54 and 1.49 nests per m-2 respectively. Ant activity and species richness was lower in winter compared with spring and summ er. The major functional groups in the farmland were opportunists and generalized myrmicine species, with Pheidole sp. DIO having greatest r epresentation in terms of nest density and abundance. This particular species was only found occasionally in the reserve. Two species ubiqui tous in the heath and woodland sites were Iridomyrmex (rufoniger gp.) sp. D13. and Monomorium sp. D8. The genera Camponotus spp, Melophorus spp and Iridomyrmex spp were well represented in naturally vegetated s ites,