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Heavy metal accumulation and ecosystem engineering by two common mine site-nesting ant species: implications for pollution-level assessment and bioremediation of coal mine soil

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Abstract

The present study focuses on the abundance, heavy metal content, and the impact of ecosystem engineering activities of two coal mine site-inhabiting ant species, Cataglyphis longipedem and Camponotus compressus. The abundance of Ct. longipedem increased while that of C. compressus decreased, with increasing soil pollution. Correspondence analysis reveals a close association between soil heavy metal concentrations and Ct. longipedem abundance, but this association is lacking in the case of C. compressus. Cataglyphis ants which occupy stress-characterized niches appear to be pre-adapted to tolerate heavy metal pollution. Higher concentrations of Zn and Mn in Ct. longipedem may contribute to the strengthening of the cuticular structures, necessary for nest excavation in the hard, arid soil and for single load carrying. C. compressus ants appear to be pollution sensitive. Their higher Fe content may be related to metal uptake via plant-derived liquids and species-specific regulatory mechanisms. The metal pollution index and biota-to-soil accumulation factors, calculated by using the ant body metal content of the two species, indicate an overall decrease of soil heavy metal concentrations with increase of the site age, which reflects the degree of pollution related to the mine site age. The concentrations of total and available heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, and Cu) were significantly lower in the ant nest debris soil as compared to the reference soil. The results of the present study highlight the role of ants as bioindicators and in bioremediation of contaminated soil.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions which greatly contributed to improvement of the manuscript. Funding support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi, is gratefully acknowledged. We are thankful to NCL for providing permission for conducting the field study at the coal mine sites. The first author is grateful to Himender Bharti, of Punjabi University, Patiala, for his help in the identification of the ant species and to Huma Vaseem for her help in the calculation of the pollution indices.

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  1. Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, U.P, 221 005, India

    Shbbir R. Khan & Neelkamal Rastogi

  2. Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, U.P, 221 005, India

    Satish K. Singh

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Khan, S.R., Singh, S.K. & Rastogi, N. Heavy metal accumulation and ecosystem engineering by two common mine site-nesting ant species: implications for pollution-level assessment and bioremediation of coal mine soil. Environ Monit Assess 189, 195 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-5865-y

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