Ants: Argies vs Pogos

Native Harvesters Ants at CCMS

Biodiversity

• The number of different species that live in a habitat.

• High = Good

Low = Bad

The Value of Increased Biodiversity

1.Healthy Ecosystem- fight off disease- natural disasters2. Protect Resources-clean water-clean air 3. Food and Medicine- new food and medicine- economy for people

Native Species

• locally adapted to their environment.

• They are connected to the other native species here and are dependent on each other for survival, shelter and food.

 

• Native species increase biodiversity

Non-Native Species

• They come from another habitat.

• Invasives -grow out of control

• Use up space

• No natural enemies

• They prevent native species from growing

• Non-native species decrease biodiversity.

Harvester Ants and Horned Lizards

Seed-harvesting ants can influence the abundance and distribution of plant species through both the selective harvesting of seeds and the construction of nutrient-rich nest mounds

Argentine ant and Harvesters

Argentine ant and Harvesters

X

Argies and horned lizards

Argies and horned lizards

X

Culver City Middle School

• CCMS has harvesters

• But only in one location

• Collect data as research scientists

What to study?

Location 1

With Harvester Ants

Location 2

No Harvester Ants

Harvester Ant Data

Butterfly Garden

Ground Temp

Number of plants

Soil pH

Light and Moisture

Grassy Area

Ground Temp

Number of plants

Soil pH

Light and Moisture

Today

• Danger – ants bite and sting

• Fill out sheet

• Answer questions

• Compile data as a class

Harvester Ant Data

• Combine the data

• What did we find?

Butterfly Garden Grassy Area

Future Work

• What can we recommend to try and get harvester ants to persist at CCMS?

• Monitor them and argies

• Not get rid of habitat

• Make more habitat

• Prevent argeis from coming in

• Make a sign so others are aware