Tuesday, April 22, 2008

"Tiny Gardeners" :-D

Interesting little piece in the New York Times today about leaf cutter ants contributing to the spread of invasive plants. A study in Argentina showed that refuse piles left by the ants act as compost heaps that created the perfect environment on which the invasive musk thistle (Carduus nutans) and Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium) can thrive. Here's a link to the peer-reviewed article, abstract only unless you've got a subscription.

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