Woodland Restoration Plot Network: Invertebrate Data (Ant Abundance), Western Sydney Parklands (Western Sydney Regional Park), NSW, Australia, 2002
Abstract: The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Invertebrate Data Package contains ant survey data for sixteen 0.02 hectare sites which were established in 2002.
The sites were located on retired farmland that includes a mosaic of restored vegetation (native plantings) of varying ages juxtaposed with patches of remnant vegetation and untreated, abandoned pasture. All sites were originally woodland prior to agricultural development about 200 years ago. The plantings monitored by the Woodland Restoration Plot Network research plots commenced in 1992.
A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Woodland Restoration Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c36e5688ff89.
Sampling method: The experimental design (Lomov 2009) was based on space-for-time substitution (Pickett 1989) with a chronosequence of four treatments. Ungrazed pasture was the control and represented the starting point of restoration; ‘younger revegetation’ of approximately 5 years since planting; ‘older revegetation’ of approximately 10 years since planting; and Cumberland Plain Woodland remnants were used as reference and represented the desired end point of restoration.
Sixteen spatially independent sites comprise four replicates per treatment located 2–6 km apart and not connected through the same type of habitat.
The genus group Anillomyrma is based on the description by Bolton (1987) http://ant.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/AZ/Australia/FORMICIDAE/Myrmicinae/Solenopsidini/Anillomyrma/sp./index.html
Study extent: The study site is located on retired farmland that includes a mosaic of restored vegetation (native plantings) of varying ages juxtaposed with patches of remnant vegetation and untreated, pasture (both grazed and abandoned). During their period of pastoral management (prior to 1990), the sites have been grazed by cattle, fertilised and planted with exotic pasture grasses, particularly Phalaris species. All sites were originally woodland prior to agricultural development about 200 years ago. Restoration projects commenced in the area in 1992 with a stated goal of ‘re-establishment of native vegetation’ (Perkins 1997). The restoration plantings were carried out in a pattern designed to connect remnant patches of woodland, which were also the primary sources of seed for tubestock. To evaluate success against the above goal, we therefore identified the remnants as suitable reference sites to which the restored sites were expected to increase their resemblance in composition and structure over time. Disturbance resulting from past agricultural practices in the area have impacted upon remnant patches to varying degrees, but these were the best available examples of native woodland in the region. Untreated pasture is defined as a control, from which restored sites are expected to become increasingly dissimilar in species composition and vegetation structure with time.
Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project was part of, and funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Type
collection
Title
Woodland Restoration Plot Network: Invertebrate Data (Ant Abundance), Western Sydney Parklands (Western Sydney Regional Park), NSW, Australia, 2002
Alternate Title
Woodland Restoration Plot Network: Invertebrate Data (Ant Abundance), 2002
Collection Type
Dataset
Access Privileges
Long Term Ecological Research Network
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
10.25911/5c3bf7a0851a0
Website Address
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au/
Metadata Language
English
Data Language
English
Brief Description
The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Invertebrate Data Package contains ant survey data for sixteen 0.02 hectare sites which were established in 2002.
A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Woodland Restoration Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c36e5688ff89.
Full Description
Abstract: The Woodland Restoration Plot Network Invertebrate Data Package contains ant survey data for sixteen 0.02 hectare sites which were established in 2002.
The sites were located on retired farmland that includes a mosaic of restored vegetation (native plantings) of varying ages juxtaposed with patches of remnant vegetation and untreated, abandoned pasture. All sites were originally woodland prior to agricultural development about 200 years ago. The plantings monitored by the Woodland Restoration Plot Network research plots commenced in 1992.
A synopsis of related data packages which have been collected as part of the Woodland Restoration Plot Network’s full program is provided at https://doi.org/10.25911/5c36e5688ff89.
Sampling method: The experimental design (Lomov 2009) was based on space-for-time substitution (Pickett 1989) with a chronosequence of four treatments. Ungrazed pasture was the control and represented the starting point of restoration; ‘younger revegetation’ of approximately 5 years since planting; ‘older revegetation’ of approximately 10 years since planting; and Cumberland Plain Woodland remnants were used as reference and represented the desired end point of restoration.
Sixteen spatially independent sites comprise four replicates per treatment located 2–6 km apart and not connected through the same type of habitat.
The genus group Anillomyrma is based on the description by Bolton (1987) http://ant.edb.miyakyo-u.ac.jp/AZ/Australia/FORMICIDAE/Myrmicinae/Solenopsidini/Anillomyrma/sp./index.html
Study extent: The study site is located on retired farmland that includes a mosaic of restored vegetation (native plantings) of varying ages juxtaposed with patches of remnant vegetation and untreated, pasture (both grazed and abandoned). During their period of pastoral management (prior to 1990), the sites have been grazed by cattle, fertilised and planted with exotic pasture grasses, particularly Phalaris species. All sites were originally woodland prior to agricultural development about 200 years ago. Restoration projects commenced in the area in 1992 with a stated goal of ‘re-establishment of native vegetation’ (Perkins 1997). The restoration plantings were carried out in a pattern designed to connect remnant patches of woodland, which were also the primary sources of seed for tubestock. To evaluate success against the above goal, we therefore identified the remnants as suitable reference sites to which the restored sites were expected to increase their resemblance in composition and structure over time. Disturbance resulting from past agricultural practices in the area have impacted upon remnant patches to varying degrees, but these were the best available examples of native woodland in the region. Untreated pasture is defined as a control, from which restored sites are expected to become increasingly dissimilar in species composition and vegetation structure with time.
Project funding: Between 2012 and 2018 this project was part of, and funded through the Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN) a facility within the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) and supported by the Australian Government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
Methods
Ant survey
1
80x 150 mL plastic containers, specimen vials, 100% ethylene glycol, 70% alcohol
Ants were sampled with pitfall traps. Each sampling plot was a 15 x 15 m grid of five pitfall traps (one at each corner with one trap in the centre of the grid). Traps consisted of 150 mL plastic containers (40-mm internal diameter) sunk in the ground flush with the surface (Lomov, 2009).
The traps were operated for 14 days. Ants from pitfall traps were transferred to 70% alcohol and identified to genus using Shattuck (1999). The voucher specimens were deposited in the entomology collection of the Australian Museum.
Lomov, B., et al. (2009). Linking ecological function to species composition in ecological restoration: Seed removal by ants in recreated woodland. Austral Ecology 34(7): 751-760.
Shattuck S. O. (1999) Australian Ants: Their Biology and Identification. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
The traps were operated for 14 days. Ants from pitfall traps were transferred to 70% alcohol and identified to genus using Shattuck (1999). The voucher specimens were deposited in the entomology collection of the Australian Museum.
Lomov, B., et al. (2009). Linking ecological function to species composition in ecological restoration: Seed removal by ants in recreated woodland. Austral Ecology 34(7): 751-760.
Shattuck S. O. (1999) Australian Ants: Their Biology and Identification. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
File Descriptions
kwrt_invertebrate_ant_species_data_2002_p35t172.csv
| abundance |
| ||||||
| description | Ant abundance records (grouped into generic phenotypes). | ||||||
| morpho_species |
| ||||||
| number of records | 625 | ||||||
| site_number |
|
Contact Email
david.keith@environment.nsw.gov.au;
christopher.simpson@unsw.edu.au;
k.wilkins@unsw.edu.au;
mark.tozer@environment.nsw.gov.au;
r.woodward@unsw.edu.au;
david.keith@unsw.edu.au
Contact Address
Australian Wetlands, Rivers and Landscapes Centre,
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences,
University of New South Wales
SYDNEY, NSW, 2052
Australia
Contact Phone Number
+61 2 9995 5000;
+61 409 159 334;
+61 2 9385 8435;
+61 2 9585 6496;
+61 2 9585 6051, 0428 810 214;
+61 2 9385 2111;
+61 427 856 498
Principal Investigator
David Keith
Supervisors
David Keith
Collaborators
Dieter Hochuli;
Boris Lomov;
David Kirkland;
Dick Williams
Fields of Research
0501 - Ecological Applications;
0602 - Ecology
Keywords
GCMD:Earth Science > Biological Classification > Animals/Invertebrates > Arthropods > Hexapods > Insects;
GCMD:Earth Science > Biosphere > Ecological dynamics;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Invertebrates;
LTERN Monitoring Theme:Restoration;
keyword:Evaluation;
keyword:Restoration;
keyword:Revegetation;
keyword:Succession;
keyword:Formicidae;
keyword:Ants;
Woodland Restoration;
Invertebrate Data (Ant Abundance)
Type of Research Activity
Pure basic research
Date Coverage
2002
Geospatial Location
Western Sydney Parklands (Western Sydney Regional Park) and Prospect Reservoir are situated approximately 30 km west of Sydney, and extend over an area of nearly 5,280 hectares.
text
northlimit = -33.80273; southlimit = -33.909898; westlimit = 150.810459; eastLimit = 150.915226
iso19139dcmiBox
Date of data creation
2016-10-09
Year of data publication
2016
Creator(s) for Citation
Keith
David
Simpson
Chris
Wilkins
Katy
Tozer
Mark
Williams
Dick
Publisher for Citation
The Australian National University Data Commons
Publications
10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01981.x
Lomov, B., et al. (2009). Linking ecological function to species composition in ecological restoration: Seed removal by ants in recreated woodland. Austral Ecology 34(7): 751-760, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2009.01981.x
Linking ecological function to species composition in ecological restoration: Seed removal by ants in recreated woodland.
doi
10.1007/978-1-4615-7358-6_5
Pickett S. T. A. (1989) Space-for-time substitution as an alternative to long-term studies. In: Long-Term Studies in Ecology (ed. G. R. Likens) pp. 110–35. Springer-Verlag, New York, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7358-6_5
Space-for-time substitution as an alternative to long-term studies.
doi
Perkins I. 1997. Hoxton Park Corridor (North) Land and Vegetation Management Plan. Unpublished report. The NSW Department of Urban Affairs and Planning & Greening Australia (NSW), Sydney
Hoxton Park Corridor (North) Land and Vegetation Management Plan
Other Related Identifiers
MorphoId:ltern.222;
PackageId:35
Access Rights
Special Conditions: Prior to publication of research utilising this data, the data provider (David Keith) requests consultation.
Access Rights Type
Open
Rights held in and over the data
Creative Commons Licence (CC BY- Attribution) is assigned to this data. Details of the licence can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Licence Type
CC-BY - Attribution (Version 4)
Licence
LTERN Deed: 14
Date of execution: 2014-04-30
Data Location
https://datacommons.anu.edu.au
Retention Period
Indefinitely
Data Management Plan
No
Status: Published
Published to:
Published to:
- Australian National University
- Australian National Data Service
Related items
- hasAssociationWith:
Woodland Restoration Plot Network: Sydney Basin data packages, 1992-2018 [anudc:5558] - hasAssociationWith:
Boris Lomov [anudc:5567] - hasAssociationWith:
David Keith [anudc:5578] - hasAssociationWith:
David Kirkland [anudc:5579] - hasAssociationWith:
Dick Williams [anudc:5581] - hasAssociationWith:
Dieter Hochuli [anudc:5582]