Get cool aluminum cast of said ant colony and the enmity of ants everywhere.
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Pour molten aluminum in an ant colony
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Get cool aluminum cast of said ant colony and the enmity of ants everywhere.
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I'd like to see someone do this with earthworms.
If I had enough melted aluminum? Gophers.
Wonder who lives at the bottom?
cool. but, yes, be careful. I think that, if I am not mistaken, there are more ants on the planet than all other creatures combined. or something like that, but there are a LOT of them.
That will strongly depend on what you consider a creature.
yes, I know that the smaller you go, the more there are. I forget what the amazing statistic I read is. but there are a LOT of ants.
"Ants are arguably the greatest success story in the history of terrestrial metazoa. On average, ants monopolize 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass, and in tropical regions where ants are especially abundant, they monopolize 25% or more."
– Schultz TR. In search of ant ancestors. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2000) vol. 97 (26) pp. 14028-9. pnas.org/content/97/26/14028.fullÂ
Here you are some more numerous animal groups:
"Nematodes are the most abundant and ubiquitous multicellular organisms on earth. They are found from the bottom of the deepest ocean to near the tops of the highest mountains, from the tropics to polar regions, and from every conceivable habitat. Nematodes are also found in or on most other types of organisms as parasites, commensals or phoretics: everything from earthworms, insects, molluscs, fish, reptiles birds, mammals to humans. In fact it is said that if the everything on the earth were to disappear except the nematodes, the outlines of everything would still be visible: the mountains, lakes and oceans, the plants and the animals would all be outlined by the nematodes living in every habitat.
Nematodes are also amongst the most diverse taxa on earth, with an estimated 500 000 to 1 000 000 species. Only about 20 000 species have been described, and the systematic literature is widely dispersed. It is hoped this key will fill some of this void."
– Hodda, M. Nematode Biosystematics & Ecology. CSIRO Entomology (2001). http://www.ento.csiro.au/science/nematodes/introduction.htmlÂ
"Microarthropods, such as soil mites and Collembola, are considered perhaps the most important animal components of temperate forest ecosystems (Moldenke and Lattin 1990, Hansen 2000) and are thought to account for nearly 95% of the soil arthropod fauna (Seastedt 1984). Their great abundance makes them important contributors to several soil processes, such as material and energy cycles, and soil formation (Manh Vu and Nguyen 2000). These organisms have been shown to affect litter decomposition through increased mass loss and mineralization of nutrients. As dominant mycophages of most terrestrial ecosystems, oribatid mites and Collembolans affect nutrient cycling processes in the sizable “nutrient reservoir” represented by the soil fungi, although to what extent is not clear (Seastedt 1984)."
– Steffen JF et al. Activity and Diversity of Collembola (Insecta) and Mites (Acari) in Litter of a Degraded Midwestern Oak Woodland. The Great Lakes Entomologist (2012) vol. 45 (1-2) pp. 1-18. chicagobotanic.org/downloads/staff/larkin/SteffenEtAl2012-TGLE.pdfÂ
"Mites are among the most diverse and successful of all the invertebrate groups. They have exploited an incredible array of habitats, and because of their small size (most are microscopic) go largely unnoticed. Many live freely in the soil or water, but there are also a large number of species that live as parasites on plants, animals, and some that feed on mold. It is estimated that 48,200 species of mites have been described."Â en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiteÂ
"Many springtails are opportunistic species capable of rapid population growth. Under favourable conditions they can reach densities of more than 100 individuals per square centimeter. Collembola make up a significant proportion of the animal biomass in most soils. They play an important role in decomposition and nutrient cycling in soil ecosystems, and are a major food source for a variety of soil predators"
– Minor, MA and Robertson AW. (2006) Collembola. Soil Bugs – An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Soil Invertebrates (updated 11-Dec-2012), soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/collembola.php (20-February-2013).
"Springtails are cryptozoa frequently found in leaf litter and other decaying material, where they are primarily detritivores and microbivores, and one of the main biological agents responsible for the control and the dissemination of soil microorganisms.
In sheer numbers, they are reputed to be one of the most abundant of all macroscopic animals, with estimates of 100,000 individuals per cubic meter of topsoil, essentially everywhere on Earth where soil and related habitats (moss cushions, fallen wood, grass tufts, ant and termite nests) occur; only nematodes, crustaceans, and mites are likely to have global populations of similar magnitude, and each of those groups except mites is more inclusive: though taxonomic rank cannot be used for absolute comparisons, it is notable that nematodes are a phylum and crustaceans a subphylum. Most springtails are small and difficult to see by casual observation, but one springtail, the so-called snow flea (Hypogastrura nivicola), is readily observed on warm winter days when it is active and its dark color contrasts sharply with a background of snow."Â en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpringtailÂ
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That's pretty impressive. You'd think at the depth that thing looks to be, the colony would be in the bed rock.