Plants, like humans, interact with a diversity of microscopic organisms, and scientists are just becoming aware of the role that microbiomes play in influencing host health. Current evidence suggests that despite their small size, microbes can have big impacts on natural ecosystems – from influencing whether plants are edible to determining how diverse a prairie is.

In arid grasslands and deserts throughout North and South America, the most abundant insects are harvester ants.  These large and conspicuous ant species feed on seeds, which they harvest directly from plants and store in their nests. Unlike most species of ants, members of a single colony are not closely related to each other; each colony is genetically diverse. Join Professor Diane Wiernasz of the University of Houston as she discusses how the harvester ant life cycle is an adaptation to the harsh conditions of the desert, how these ants affect the abundance and distribution of plant communities, and the sometimes surprising consequences of colony genetic variation.