Nutritional and thermal ecology of ants

Temperate tree canopies remain a new frontier in ecological research. In the tropics, ants play an outsized role in structuring the flow of nutrients through forests. But what about temperate forests? Which ants live in the treetops, and what ecological role do they play? To answer these questions, PhD student Michelle Kirchner is climbing trees across the state, from mountains to coastal plain.

Insects are expected to be highly sensitive to climate change, because their metabolism and activity depend on environmental temperature. Insect behavioral changes or physiological adaptations might mitigate effects of climate change, but these possibilities remain controversial. Research Associate Sara Prado is using microclimatic variation arising from the urban heat-island effect to ask whether and how ants cope with urban warming in Raleigh, NC, and in Puerto Maldonado, Peru.