NCUE has undertaken various projects and activities, including Environmental Education Centre’s “Project of Taoyuan International Airport Corporation/Entrusted Planning and Design for RIFA Control” and Biology Department’s “Discussion and Solution Strategies on the Ant Infestation Problems in the low elevation mountains Caused by the Impact of Climate Change on the Ecology of low elevation mountains and the Changes in the Community”, “Agricultural Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan/Field Survey on Ants in Farms Cultivated using Distinct Farming Methods”. They are described briefly in the following section.

1. Project of Taoyuan International Airport Corporation/Entrusted Planning and Design for RIFA Control:

Taoyuan International Airport is located in the Dayuan District. In 2004, Taoyuan International Airport determined that the area around Taoyuan Airport, the airport traffic lane, and some parts of the lawn that divide the running chute were invaded by the RIFA. The project team has achieved remarkable results after years of prevention and control work. The entire airport area has been lifted from the list of management by the government in May 2018. However, Taoyuan International Airport is located in the Dayuan District of Taoyuan City, and the current RIFA population distribution and density in Dayuan District are still relatively serious, Taoyuan International Airport is still in an area susceptible to RIFA recurrence. The goal of the project team is to continue to assist Taoyuan International Airport in the prevention and control of RIFA in the entire airport area, including the manpower planning and execution in the control and investigation field operations, planning for the types of prevention and control agents, method suggestion and execution, RIFA monitoring execution and control rate reporting, assistance in reports required by the competent authorities, and checking related matters on RIFA prevention and control. The project also assists Taoyuan International Airport in organizing the RIFA Education and Training Course, which trains 120 trainees each year. Related event photos are shown in Figure 1.

Link for reference information: https://www.facebook.com/NCUEEEC/videos/a.1053897732014001/852916332256772.

2. Project of the Division of Science and Technology: “Discussion and Solution Strategies on the Ant Infestation Problems in the Qianshan Caused by the Impact of Climate Change on the Ecology of Qianshan and the Changes in the Community”.

Natural disasters on slopes arising from climate change and man-made development pressure have caused landscape fragmentation, ecological fragmentation, and habitat loss, causing slopes in Qianshan, Taiwan, an ecologically fragile area. Recently, ant infestation problems have emerged in Qianshan towns in south-central Taiwan. Ants pour into houses like streams, and flying ants infest homes like black mist. Such abnormal ecological responses are warnings that there is gradual loss of ecological health in Taiwan. This project thus integrates multiple domains. It takes the ant infestation problem of the Qianshan residents as the starting point to comprehensively examine the hidden landscape fragmentation, and ecological loss and development pressure behind the ant infestation problem. Using the ecosystem service on the slopes as the research framework, this study investigates key biofacies in the habitat, analyzes landscape changes, establishes indicators, and examines environmental fragility and ecological potential. In addition, in response to the logic of the impact of the ant infestation problem on the industry and tourism in the mountain village communities, a Qianshan agricultural production system with potential for ecosystem services and human well-being are established taking climate change as the background. Briefing sessions are held with local governments, communities, farmers, and people in the homestay industry. Related event photos are shown in Figure 2.

Link for reference information: https://www.facebook.com/NCUEEEC/photos/a.1053897732014001/1053901572013617.

3. Agricultural Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan/Field Survey on Ants in Farms Cultivated using Different Farming Methods:

In recent years, the Agriculture and Food Agency of the Executive Yuan continued to promote environmentally friendly field management models to reduce the impact of agricultural production on the ecosystem and promote sustainable agricultural development. From November 2021 to May 2022, the project tested different farming methods in a paddy field (organic and conventional) in Chunrih, Yuli Township, and a pomelo garden (organic and conventional) in Olalip, Hegang Village, both located in Hualien. Every two months drop traps and the Winkler bag method were used to investigate the ant fauna under different farming methods. The midterm report of this project collected 4,253 ants from 47 species, 28 genera, and 5 subfamilies during four surveys conducted on four types of crops and cultivated fields. The diversity index analysis showed that the organic rice field had higher Simpson, Shannon, and evenness indexes. Ant activities were significantly higher in the conventional rice field and the organic part of the pomelo garden than those in the organic rice field and the conventional pomelo garden respectively, indicating that the potential ability to inhibit the growth of pests was better. Pheidole megacephala was the dominant species in both organic and conventional paddy fields, while Carebara diversa and Tetramorium sp. 2 were most abundant in the organic and conventional parts of the pomelo garden. The potential ecological functions provided by them have a greater effect on the ecosystem. The multivariate analysis of dominant species composition showed that the similarity between the organic and conventional rice fields was higher than that between the organic and conventional parts of the pomelo garden. Therefore, it is inferred that ants in rice fields have a lower sensitivity to pesticides, which can be attributed to the fact that the application of pesticides in rice fields is mainly aimed at crops standing in fields, and has less impact on the biological species living in ridges. However, the abundant species in the organic and conventional parts of the pomelo garden are quite different, indicating that ants in the pomelo garden are more sensitive to pesticides. Species accumulative curves revealed that the distribution of species in the organic part of the pomelo garden and the conventional rice field were saturated, but the number of species in the organic rice field and conventional part of the pomelo garden was still growing, and it is expected that more species will be collected. Research shows that biodiversity can be protected in agricultural production, while ants have a potential role in ecological services to achieve socio-ecological production landscapes that support the harmonious coexistence of agricultural ecosystems and organisms. Related event photos are shown in Figures 3-4.