Ants discard seed chaff and other debris onto the nest mound.
Colonies can live 15-20 years, so large amounts of organic debris can build up on the mound. As a result, the soils around ant nests contain very high concentrations of organic matter and mineral nutrients like ammonium, nitrate, and orthophosphate. The organic debris around the nest provides a resource base that supports a rich and complex community of microscopic soil organisms. Ant nest soils contain large populations of protozoans, mites, and collembolans, taxa that are at very low abundance in surrounding soils. These organisms contribute to the higher nitrogen mineralization rates we detect in ant nest soils.