Ants

Ants are vital to forest and wetland ecosystems: they mix and mine soils, disperse native plant seeds, and play a key role in food webs.

Studies of ant community dynamics at Harvard Forest are overseen by Senior Ecologist Aaron Ellison, PhD student Israel Del Toro, several research assistants, and many undergraduate students.

Ant studies are mainly carried out in our Hemlock Removal experiment, our "Warm Ants--Hot Plants" climate change experiment, and at Tom Swamp.

Learn more about our region's ants in Aaron Ellison's recent book, A Field Guide to the Ants of New England.