Drought-induced relocation of ant colonies and its consequences for the long-term spatial ecology of a population under stress

Maintaining a central refuge such as a nest or burrow can offer protection against environmental stressors but comes at the expense of the capacity to disperse to new locations. This trade-off with mobility can be detrimental when environmental conditions become adverse for extended periods, necessitating animals to relocate in order to track shifting niche envelopes.
Long-lived ant colonies that invest in the construction of large nests are especially susceptible to changing environmental conditions. The Australian meat ant, Iridomyrmex purpureus, build large terrestrial nests at sites that balance shade and solar exposure.
Long-term study of a population of meat ants showed low nest turnover and a stable spatial distribution of nests across typical rainfall years. With the onset of drought, a dramatic surge in the production of new nests occurred through a process of budding that far exceeded historic trends. This appears to have allowed colonies to relocate nests into areas with mor..., Please see original study for full methodological details., Any text, spreadsheet or statistical software should be able to open data files.