Running head: Ant community composition, Trager and Fiske, 2006 EFFECTS OF HABITAT TYPE AND DISTANCE FROM EDGE ON ANT COMMUNITY COMPOSITION IN A DEGRADED NATURAL AREA

We examined the effects of habitat type and distance from the edge on ant species richness and community composition and we assessed the ability of species to dominate experimental bait stations in degraded longleaf pine savanna and oak hammock in northern Florida. We were particularly interested in the relationships between nonindigenous species, including Solenopsis invicta, and the native ant community. Species richness per pitfall trap was significantly higher in the pine habitat, but distance from the edge had no effect in either habitat. Although NMDS ordination showed substantial separation in community composition between the two habitat types, it also did not show any effect of distance from edge. Non-indigenous ant species, of which S. invicta was the most common, were significantly more abundant in the pine habitat. There was no relationship between the number of introduced and native species, but in the pine habitat the presence of S. invicta was significantly associated with lower richness of native ant species at small spatial scales. A small subset of the species dominated the bait stations, led by S. invicta. The results of the baiting study suggest that at least some nonindigenous species may persist in diverse ant communities due to their ability to find and dominate food resources.