Harvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration.

A better understanding of seed movement in plant community dynamics is needed, especially in light of disturbance-driven changes and investments into restoring degraded plant communities. A primary agent of change within the sagebrush-steppe is wildfire and invasion by non-native forbs and grasses, primarily cheatgrass (). Our objectives were to quantify seed removal and evaluate ecological factors influencing seed removal within degraded sagebrush-steppe by granivorous Owyhee harvester ants ( Olsen).