Ant Architecture - by Walter R Tschinkel (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Many animals, from birds to insects, build structures using wood, soil, or a range other materials. Suprisingly to most people, a similarly diverse array of animal homes exist underground, in the hiddent world beneath our feet. This is particularly true for ants who excavate large and complex nests in which they shelter, reproduce and generally go about their lives. Despite the existence of this vast underground world, it has remained largely unexplored. Walter Tschinkel, however, has spent his career researching underground ant nests in his home state of Florida (where they are particularly prevalent) and this book is his story of discovery about what he has learned about these nests and they reveal about ant biology and behavior more broadly. Tschinkelstarts the book by describing just how he studies ants nest - an arduous excavation process which involves first filling the nests with plaster, molten metal or wax. But this is a book driven by fascinating questions and the experiments the author has devised to try and answer them. How does nest architecture vary across ant species? How are new nests excavated during colony relocation? Are the ants organized within the nest? Do ants have "architectural plans?" What is the effect of all this nest excavation on soils? And how does the division of labor within the nest work? Ultimately, Tschinkel provides answers to many of these questions, but also acknowledges what mysteries, including why nests evolved in the first place, still remain. In telling this story, Tschinkel introduces readers to the surprising beauty and architectural complexity of underground ant nests and to how scientific research on them is done"--

Book Synopsis

An unprecedented look at the complex and beautiful world of underground ant architecture

Walter Tschinkel has spent much of his career investigating the hidden subterranean realm of ant nests. This wonderfully illustrated book takes you inside an unseen world where thousands of ants build intricate homes in the soil beneath our feet.

Tschinkel describes the ingenious methods he has devised to study ant nests, showing how he fills a nest with plaster, molten metal, or wax and painstakingly excavates the cast. He guides you through living ant nests chamber by chamber, revealing how nests are created and how colonies function. How does nest architecture vary across species? Do ants have "architectural plans"? How do nests affect our environment? As he delves into these and other questions, Tschinkel provides a one-of-a-kind natural history of the planet's most successful creatures and a compelling firsthand account of a life of scientific discovery.

Offering a unique look at how simple methods can lead to pioneering science, Ant Architecture addresses the unsolved mysteries of underground ant nests while charting new directions for tomorrow's research, and reflects on the role of beauty in nature and the joys of shoestring science.

Review Quotes

"Absent Prof. Tschinkel's castings, appreciation of the complexity and true magnificence of the structures created by ants would be very difficult indeed for even an expert. Which is why we are so fortunate that he has pioneered this technique that he shares with his reader in Ant Architecture, enabling us all to obtain a better understanding of both the structures ants create as well as the lives they live within them."---Johannes E. Riutta, The Well-Read Naturalist

"I would recommend this book to all scientists, but especially to young people, even high school students, as a guide to scientific thinking. Lessons abound."---John Longino, American Entomologist

"It is said that science is a process, not just a collection of data, and Tschinkel's book is a highly entertaining expression of that truism as well as 'the enormous effort it takes to establish a few simple scientific facts.'"---Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History

"This beautifully illustrated, very well-written, and sometimes humorous account of Tschinkel's research life and investigations is well worth a look."---J. M. Gonzalez, Choice

"This is an excellent popular science book and I recommend it highly to biologists of all ages and all levels of experience. Ingenious and enjoyable!"---Andrew Wakeham-Dawson, Entomologists Monthly Magazine

"Winner of the PROSE Award in Biological Sciences, Association of American Publishers"

About the Author

Walter R. Tschinkel is professor emeritus of biological science at Florida State University and a world authority on ant biology. He is the author of The Fire Ants. He lives in Tallahassee, Florida.