Topic
Eciton
About: Eciton is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 126 publications have been published within this topic receiving 4106 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
1 / 2
Papers
TL;DR: A new model is developed with a quantitative study of the behaviour of the army ant Eciton burchelli to show how the movement rules of individual ants on trails can lead to a collective choice of direction and the formation of distinct traffic lanes that minimize congestion.
Abstract: We show how the movement rules of individual ants on trails can lead to a collective choice of direction and the formation of distinct traffic lanes that minimize congestion. We develop and evaluate the results of a new model with a quantitative study of the behaviour of the army ant Eciton burchelli. Colonies of this species have up to 200 000 foragers and transport more than 3000 prey items per hour over raiding columns that exceed 100 m. It is an ideal species in which to test the predictions of our model because it forms pheromone trails that are densely populated with very swift ants. The model explores the influences of turning rates and local perception on traffic flow. The behaviour of real army ants is such that they occupy the specific region of parameter space in which lanes form and traffic flow is maximized.
445 citations
Book•
1 Jan 1995
TL;DR: In this paper, Gotwald describes the adaptive syndrome through which army ants have flourished, and details their classification and distribution, and defines all the characteristics of the ants' behavior and behavior.
Abstract: An interesting and engaging comprehensive account of the behavioral ecology and evolution of army ants around the world, accessible to nonspecialists. Gotwald describes the adaptive syndrome through which army ants have flourished, and details their classification and distribution. Defining all spec
366 citations
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240 citations
TL;DR: Field experiments and analyses are presented that test both the assumptions and the predictions of a model that showed how the swarm raids of the army ant Eciton burchellimight be self-organizing, i.e., based on hundreds of thousands of interactions among the foraging workers rather than a central administration or hierarchical control.
Abstract: We present field experiments and analyses that test both the assumptions and the predictions of a model that showed how the swarm raids of the army ant Eciton burchelli might be self-organizing, i.e., based on hundreds of thousands of interactions among the foraging workers rather than a central administration or hierarchical control. We use circular mill experiments to show that the running velocity of the ants is a sigm.oidal function of the strength of their trail pheromones and provide evidence that the swarm raid is structured by the interaction between outbound and inbound forager traffic mediated by the pheromones produced by both of these sets of ants. Inbound traffic is also affected by the distribution of prey, and hence, sites of prey capture alter the geometry of the raid. By manipulating the prey distributions for E. burchelli swarms, we have made them raid in a form more typical of other army ant species. Such self-organization of raids based on an interaction between the ants and their environment has profound consequences for interpretations of the evolution of army ant species.
151 citations
TL;DR: This article used percolation theory to consider how an environment may fragment and developed a stochastic, spatially explicit, individual-based model to consider the effect of habitat fragmentation on a keystone species (the army ant Eciton burchelli) in a tropical rainforest.
Abstract: Many species survive in specialized habitats. When these habitats are destroyed or fragmented the threat of extinction looms. In this paper, we use percolation theory to consider how an environment may fragment. We then develop a stochastic, spatially explicit, individual-based model to consider the effect of habitat fragmentation on a keystone species (the army ant Eciton burchelli) in a neo tropical rainforest. The results suggest that species may become extinct even in huge reserves before their habitat is fully fragmented; this has important implications for conservation. We show that sustainable forest-harvesting strategies may not be as successful as is currently thought. We also suggest that habitat corridors, once thought of as the saviour for fragmented environments, may have a detrimental effect on population persistence.
147 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2016 | 6 |