Key Points
A new study from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has revealed an unexpected factor influencing bird species diversity in mountainous regions: the presence of Oecophylla ants...
The research, published in Ecology Letters, challenges long-held assumptions about species distribution patterns in mountain ecosystems...
The findings revealed a striking pattern: in mountain ranges where Oecophylla ants were present at the base, insect-eating bird species diversity peaked at mid-elevations, around 960 meters...
This suggests that competition with ants for food resources at lower elevations may be pushing these birds higher up the mountains.. . ) ..
The study also found that other bird groups, such as nectar-eating and fruit-eating birds, which don't compete with Oecophylla ants, showed decreasing species diversity with increasing elevation...
