Refuse pile turnover by harvester ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) increases seed density and seedling species richness in dry grasslands

Messor barbarus (LINNAEUS, 1767) ants are Mediterranean region seed predators. However, transported seeds can be found rejected in refuse piles around their nests, making this ant a seed dispersal agent. This raises the following quesdons: Do refuse piles affect seed distribution? Do their small-scale seed composition, richness, and density in autumn and winter differ from those of areas without refuse piles? Are there differences in the...