Restoring Grasslands
Monday, June 9, 2014 - 12:41
in Biology & Nature
When it comes to restoring grasslands, ecologists may have another way to evaluate their progress--ants. The more diverse the ant population, the closer a restored section of grassland is to its original state, according to Laura Winkler, who recently completed her master's degree in plant science, specializing in entomology, at South Dakota State University. When it comes to native grasslands, ants are "ecosystem engineers."