Adam Devenish
PhD Student, Invasive Ants & Ecosystem Services
Former lab member
Position: PhD Student
Project: Assessing current and future impacts of invasive ants on ecosystem services
Research Interests: Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are some of the most ecologically important organisms on the planet, forming up to 15-20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. They provide a large number of ecosystem services, including tunnelling (e.g. soil aeration/water filtration), pest control services and seed dispersal, and are commonly used as biological indicators of ecosystem condition. Outside their native regions, however, ants can pose a significant global threat, with at least seven ant species listed among the top 100 invasive species on the Global Invasive Species Database.
My main interests revolve around plant-animal interactions, particularly seed dispersal. I am looking at how invasive ants can disrupt keystone ecosystem services such as myrmecochory (ant seed dispersal) and how this can impact plant composition. For my PhD project I looked at the impacts of some of the world’s most invasive ant species, such as the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) and invasive fire ant (Solenopsis geminata), on Spanish and South African biomes.
Biography
- 2013–present: PhD Student, University of Bristol
- 2012–2013: Research Assistant, Institute of Zoology (London)
- 2010–2012: External Consultant, Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (Sussex)
- 2009–2010: MSc (Hons.) Conservation, University College London
- 2007–2009: BSc (Hons.) Biological Sciences, Roehampton University
Contact: ajm.devenish@bristol.ac.uk / a.devenish@kew.org