{
  "abstract": "Land-use change, such as the transformation of woody ecosystems into open pastures, acts as a strong ecological filter, favouring some species while excluding others according to differences in ecological niche breadth. Understanding how differences in niche breadth influence species responses under anthropogenic filters is crucial to anticipate their persistence or displacement. In this study, we quantified realized niche breadth in two sympatric ecosystem engineers, the Neotropical leaf-cutter ants Atta cephalotes and Atta laevigata, to test whether breadth differences are consistent with specialist and generalist ecological strategies. We characterized realized niche breadth across fine-scale environmental gradients by integrating hemispherical photography, microclimatic data, mound architecture, and edaphic profiles from 114 colonies across a regional transect in the Colombian Andes, alongside macroclimatic data from Copernicus. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and PERMANOVA identified canopy openness and bushes- and tree-type vegetation density as the principal axes of interspecific niche partitioning. The observed differences in realized niche breadth were consistent with specialist and generalist ecological strategies. A. laevigata was predominantly associated with open-canopy areas, warmer micro- and macroclimatic conditions, and narrower edaphic dispersion. In contrast, A. cephalotes occupied a wider range of microhabitat conditions. This broader realized niche breadth is compatible with previous reports of A. cephalotes occurring in urban areas. Together, these findings suggest that niche breadth may influence how Neotropical leaf-cutter ants respond to habitat transformation, helping to understand the ecological consequences of land-use change.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Klosterneuburg, Austria"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Diego Garcia Castillo"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0dz121n35sm8z.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0351518",
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  "id": "0dz121n35sm8z",
  "issns": [
    "1932-6203"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351518",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1311|Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Ecology/Ecological niches"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Ecology/Ecosystems/Forests"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Ecology/Habitats"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Organisms/Eukaryota/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Hymenoptera/Ants"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Animals/Invertebrates/Arthropoda/Insects/Hymenoptera/Ants"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Zoology/Entomology/Insects/Hymenoptera/Ants"
    ],
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      "plos",
      "/Earth sciences/Geography/Human geography/Land use"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Earth sciences/Soil science/Soil chemistry/Soil pH"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Ecology/Ecological niches"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Ecology/Ecosystems/Forests"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Ecology/Habitats"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Environmental chemistry/Soil chemistry/Soil pH"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Terrestrial environments/Forests"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Ecology and environmental sciences/Terrestrial environments/Urban environments"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Chemistry/Environmental chemistry/Soil chemistry/Soil pH"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Mathematics/Statistics/Statistical methods/Multivariate analysis/Principal component analysis"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Mathematical and statistical techniques/Statistical methods/Multivariate analysis/Principal component analysis"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Human geography/Land use"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215043610",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0351518&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-01",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0dz121n35sm8z.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0351518",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0351518"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:ecology",
      "subfield": "ecology"
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  ],
  "title": "Generalism vs. specialization: Does niche breadth influence species responses to anthropogenic land-use change in Neotropical leaf-cutter ants?",
  "title_text": "Generalism vs. specialization: Does niche breadth influence species responses to anthropogenic land-use change in Neotropical leaf-cutter ants?",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0dz121n35sm8z",
  "venue": "PLOS One",
  "versions": []
}