Long-term trends in the occupancy of ants revealed through use of multi-sourced datasets

Sheard, Julie K.; Rahbek, Carsten; Dunn, Robert R.; Sanders, Nathan J.; Isaac, Nick J.B.

Sheard, Julie K.; Rahbek, Carsten; Dunn, Robert R.; Sanders, Nathan J.; Isaac, Nick J.B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4869-8052. 2021 Long-term trends in the occupancy of ants revealed through use of multi-sourced datasets. Biology Letters, 17 (10), 20210240. 6, pp. 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0240

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Abstract

We combined participatory science data and museum records to understand long-term changes in occupancy for 29 ant species in Denmark over 119 years. Bayesian occupancy modelling indicated change in occupancy for 15 species: five increased, four declined and six showed fluctuating trends. We consider how trends may have been influenced by life-history and habitat changes. Our results build on an emerging picture that biodiversity change in insects is more complex than implied by the simple insect decline narrative.

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