Abstract

Urbanization represents one of the most significant drivers of environmental change, profoundly altering ecosystem structure and biodiversity patterns across landscapes. This comparative study examines ant species richness and community composition in urban versus rural ecosystems to understand how anthropogenic habitat modifications influence myrmecofauna diversity and distribution. Ants serve as excellent bioindicators due to their ecological importance, taxonomic diversity, and sensitivity to environmental changes. Through systematic sampling across urban-rural gradients in multiple geographical regions, this research reveals complex patterns of species richness variation that challenge simple assumptions about urbanization effects on biodiversity. While urban environments often support lower overall species richness than rural counterparts, they can harbor unique species assemblages and provide refugia for certain ant taxa. Understanding these patterns is crucial for urban biodiversity conservation and sustainable city planning that maintains ecological connectivity and habitat quality.