Return of the ants: investigating temporal and spatial patterns of ant colonization in unsealed schoolyards

Abstract Introduction Urban soil unsealing, the removal of impervious surface layers, is increasingly promoted as a habitat restoration strategy to enhance ecosystem resilience in cities. Yet, its potential to support soil biodiversity from the onset remains underexplored. Objectives This study aimed to assess how quickly and under what conditions newly unsealed urban soils become colonized by ant communities, key bioindicators of ecological restoration. Methods We monitored ant communities over two consecutive years in 20 recently unsealed schoolyards in the southern France. A total of 918 attractive baits were deployed across 135 unsealed plots with different types of soil cover. Species richness, abundance, and multivariate analyses were used to explore spatial and temporal trends in community assembly. Results Twenty‐nine ant species were identified, representing nearly 15% of the French metropolitan species pool. Regardless of the ground cover type, species richness and abundance increased significantly from 1 year to the next. Remarkably, in unsealed lawns, within only 1 year diversity levels had already reached those observed in pre‐existing lawns. Furthermore, landscape variables including land use composition and configuration appeared to play a primary role in shaping ant community composition. Conclusions Using a combination of snapshot monitoring across differently aged unsealed areas and interannual comparisons, this study documents early‐stage ant colonization dynamics in urban schoolyards following soil unsealing. The results highlight the role of time since unsealing and surrounding landscape context in shaping initial community assembly, while emphasizing that these patterns reflect early responses rather than long‐term restoration outcomes.