Phytoindication-based analysis of the ecological niche of Lasius fuliginosus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in riparian and mesophilous forests
Abstract
The aim of this study was to characterise the ecological niche of Lasius fuliginosus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along phytoindication gradients, and to determine the relationship between its foraging activity and the structure of the vegetation in riparian and mesophilous forests in Kyiv region. Fieldwork was conducted from July to August 2025 across 36 L. fuliginosus colonies (20 in the Holosiivskyi National Nature Park and 16 on Zhukiv Island). Standard 20 × 20 m plots were used for simultaneous geobotanical surveys and quantitative assessments of foraging intensity (number of workers passing per minute on trails and tree trunks). Environmental conditions were evaluated using eight standardised Didukh phytoindication scales. Statistical analyses included Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA). The multivariate ecological niche of L. fuliginosus exhibited a pronounced microclimatic specialization, with temperature and moisture acting as the primary narrow limiting factors. The narrowest ranges were observed for temperature (Tm: 56–64 points, median: 60.5) and soil moisture (Hd: 43–54 points, median: 48), indicating strict avoidance of extreme xerophytic and waterlogged conditions. The number of forage trees per plot (1–6) had no significant impact on ant abundance (p = 1.0), whereas plant species richness exhibited a distinct nonlinear threshold pattern modelled using GAM. A significant increase in foraging activity was observed exclusively when moving from low (7– 13 species) to moderately low (13–16 species) richness (p < 0.05). PCA and PERMANOVA revealed a highly significant and distinct environmental segregation between the niche configurations of riparian willow-poplar forests and mesophilous oak-hornbeam forests (F1,34 = 18.86, R2 = 0.36, p = 0.001). However, due to high ecological plasticity, the actual intensity of foraging did not differ significantly between the two forest types (W = 171, p = 0.1526), despite a higher median abundance in riparian zones (445.5 workers per minute) than in mesophilous stands (279.5 workers per minute). L. fuliginosus is tightly associated with stable, moderately warm and humid forest microhabitats, serving as an effective bioindicator for monitoring ecosystems under anthropogenic pressure.
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