Ant invasion can be seen from space
Tacaru ants take over in Entre Rios, Argentina, after 40 years of deforestation and soil erosion.
Tue, Apr 14 2009 at 4:46 PM EST
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Photo: Alex Wild on PhotoSynthesis It's hard to imagine that the tiniest of creatures, the ant, could have any significant impact upon the landscape, but in Argentina the Tacaru ant (Camponotus termitarius) has been busy, and the results of its handiwork are now visible from space.
Entomologist and photographer Alex Wild published his findings on the newly launched PhotoSynthesis blog (my new favorite ... I highly recommend subscribing). And apparently this is not an uncommon phenomenon in highly degraded lands.
In the Entre Rios region of Argentina there once stood a rainforest. It was leveled and then used for intensive agricultural purposes, causing decades of soil erosion (PDF). As Wild says, this is "... an excellent example of how human land-use changes can convert an innocuous local species into a pest. In this case, the problem is large enough to be tracked from orbit."
The tiny pock marks in the Google image above are ant hills, thousands and thousands of ant hills each about 1-2 feet tall. Apparently as land erosion gets severe, competitive species of birds and other insects are completely driven out, leaving the ants behind to till the soil. With over 12,000 known species, ants are considered the most successful species in dominating global terrestrial ecosystems.
One of Wild's hobbies is tracking insect invasions using Google Earth. Though the Tacaru invasion is the first insect found via satellite, apparently this is not an uncommon phenomenon and Wild has several examples posted up on his own blog of other ant "earth movers."
Here's a note from ScienceBlogs editor about the new PhotoSynthesis blog which promises to curate the best in science and nature photography:
Through our explorations of the blogsphere, we've discovered an astounding range of captivating science images, from the many microscopic components of a cell to the remote corners of the universe captured by Hubble. On Photo Synthesis, we aim to bring you the best of what's out there. Every month we will feature the work of a different photoblogger, exposing worlds both small and large, familiar and exotic.
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Comments
karloz
01/02/2012 06:29 AM
not Tacaru the name its Tacuru
Ralph
12/13/2009 01:18 AM
For a couple of years I've been wondering what happens after ants cover and consume the landscape. Seems to me they would eventually destroy their food supply. Then you might have a sort of desert. Do they then just move on? What stops ants from taking over whole regions that way?
Anonymous
04/26/2009 22:05 PM
I don't know what exactly the researchers used to spot the ants, but I CAN say for sure that the image in the article was taken from an airplane. Google maps/earth switch between aerial and satellite images depending on how far one is zoomed in, and if you can see a truck in fair detail you can be sure that it was taken from a plane. As a side note, satellites not owned by spy gov't spy agencies are just now getting below 1 meter = 1 pixel resolution. That means a 2 foot tall anthill would be.... More
Flowercat
06/19/2009 11:50 AM
The worst part about looking at the Earth from space is that all you can see are damn anthills. Oh, and the Great Wall of China. That has LOADS of anthills around it.
Anonymous
04/27/2009 16:29 PM
Just got back from space. Saw some ant hills.
Anonymous
04/27/2009 00:32 AM
Its AMAZING this can be seen from space isn't it?
Anonymous
04/26/2009 19:54 PM
very interesting, but I recommend learning how to make links
Anonymous
04/24/2009 14:14 PM
Terrific post. A really interesting story I probably wouldn't have come across elsewhere.
