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Alex Tyrpak Masters thesis 7-10-20.pdf (1.99 MB)

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How ant communities are shaped by vacant land management strategies, landscape context, and a legacy of industrialization

Tyrpak, Alex Marcus
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5755-6638
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594477507523544

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Entomology.
Many cities around the world have lost population due to economic decline and deindustrialization which has led to an overabundance of infrastructure. These abandoned structures are eventually torn down, resulting in the formation of vacant lots which are planted with turfgrass. Vacant lots require regular mowing, which is a significant expense for cities with a shrinking tax base. Vacant land has the potential to support many arthropod groups yet mowing could be limiting its conservation value. The first goal of this research was to determine if reducing the mowing frequency could improve the conservation value of vacant land by creating urban meadows. Second, I examined if converting vacant lots into pocket prairies planted with native wildflowers would improve their conservation value, in comparison to Metropark forests which are the principal conservation habitat example in Cleveland, Ohio. Ants were chosen as the study organism due to their abundance and importance as biological indicators. Landscape context was evaluated in both goals, and soil contamination and vegetation factors were evaluated between vacant lots and pocket prairies. Reducing the mowing frequency and establishing pocket prairies did not significantly alter ant species and functional richness, or composition, and Metropark forests had a lower ant species and function richness and a different species composition than pocket prairies. However, ant species richness was negatively correlated with increasing impervious surface area, and local soil contamination was negatively correlated with ant body size. These results illustrate that local soil contamination and impervious surface area in the surrounding landscape can potentially negatively affect ant colonization and functional diversity. Urban meadows, pocket prairies, and vacant lots all harbored relatively similar communities of ants, however, soil contamination and impervious surfaces in the surrounding landscape could be detrimental for vacant land conservation practices.
Mary Gardiner (Advisor)
Rachelle Adams (Committee Member)
P. Larry Phelan (Committee Member)
Joseph Raczkowski (Committee Member)
85 p.
Ecology; Entomology
ants; vacant lots; pocket prairies; urban meadows; conservation; green space

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Tyrpak, A. M. (2020). How ant communities are shaped by vacant land management strategies, landscape context, and a legacy of industrialization [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594477507523544

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Tyrpak, Alex. How ant communities are shaped by vacant land management strategies, landscape context, and a legacy of industrialization. 2020. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594477507523544.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Tyrpak, Alex. "How ant communities are shaped by vacant land management strategies, landscape context, and a legacy of industrialization." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594477507523544

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1594477507523544
119
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