Role of social insects in ecosystem process and biodiversity

企画者：Mizue Ohashi（School of Human Science and Environment, University of Hyogo）, Takao Itioka（Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University）, Seiki Yamane（Faculty of Science, Kagoshima University）

概要：Social insects (ants, bees, wasps and termites) are among the most diverse and ecologically important organisms on earth. They have various interactions with biotic and abiotic processes in ecosystems because of their eusocial behaviors, such as corporative feeding and division of labors. Therefore, clarification of the ecological impacts of social insects could be a key for understanding the complicate structure of ecological processes. In Finland, an international project naming ANTS&APHIDS has started in 2003, which aiming to increase ecosystem level understanding on the role of wood ants in the functioning of boreal forests. There are also various studies about the effect of social insects on animal mutualisms, element dynamics and biodiversity in Japan and other countries. In this symposium, we aim to introduce the recent studies about the ecological role of social insects and synthesize our knowledge for future studies on ecosystem processes and functions.

• Green islands predation not nutrition. Prof. Peeka Niemela（University of Turku, Finland）
• Ant -- aphid --tree interactions in boreal forests: cascading effects on carbon and nitrogen fluxes and biodiversit Dr. Timo Domisch（University of Jeonsuu, Finland）
• Do wood ants play an important role in carbon and nutrient dynamics in boreal managed forests? Prof. Leena Finer（Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland）
• Diversity in mutualistic relationship between Macaranga myrmecophytes and their partner ants Takao Itioka（Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto University）
• Current topics in Asian Myrmecology Seiki Yamane（Faculty of Science, Kagoshima University）