Leaf-litter amount as a factor in the structure of a ponerine ants community (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae) in an eastern Amazonian rainforest, Brazil

Abstract

Leaf-litter amount as a factor in the structure of a ponerine ants community (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae) in an eastern Amazonian rainforest, Brazil. Leaf-litter may be an important factor in structuring ponerine ant communities (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae) in tropical rainforests. We specifically examined how leaf-litter affects the structure of a ponerine ant community in primary Amazonian rainforest sites at the Ferreira Penna Scientific Station, Pará, Brazil. A total of 53 species belonging to eight genera of three ponerine tribes were collected with mini-Winkler extractors. The amount of leaf-litter positively affected the abundance and richness of the ponerine ant community, and also influenced species composition. Nearby samples often had low species similarity, especially when adjacent samples differed in the amount of leaf-litter. Leaf-litter availability in Amazonian primary forests is a key factor for distribution of ground-dwelling ponerine species, even at small scales.<br>Efeito da quantidade de serapilheira sobre a estrutura de uma comunidade de formigas ponerinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae) em uma floresta tropical da Amazônia Oriental, Brasil. Analisou-se o efeito da serapilheira sobre a estrutura da comunidade de formigas Ponerinae em áreas de floresta amazônica primária, localizadas na Estação Científica Ferreira Penna, Pará, Brasil. Foram coletadas 53 espécies de formigas, pertencentes a oito gêneros e três tribos da subfamília Ponerinae, utilizando-se extratores de mini-Winkler. A quantidade de serapilheira afetou positivamente a abundância e riqueza, bem como esteve associada à composição de espécies dessas formigas. Amostras próximas apresentaram baixa similaridade faunística, especialmente quando continham quantidades divergentes de serapilheira. Sugere-se, então, que a distribuição dessas formigas depende da disponibilidade de recursos na serapilheira em floresta primária amazônica, mesmo em pequena escala

Does plant diversity increase top–down control of herbivorous insects in tropical forest?

“…Among the vegetation strata, we found that predation was most strongly associated with herbs, suggesting that major predators may utilize the ground and understory stratum. A possible explanation for this pattern is the fact that ground predatory ants may forage in understory plants, but nest preferentially in leaf‐litter and are therefore likely to benefit from increased leaf‐litter heterogeneity and quantity under more diverse plant communities (Bastos and Harada , Staab et al ). Indeed, ground and tree trunk baiting conducted by Modi et al (unpubl.)…”

Seasonal Analysis of Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Poneromorph Ant Assemblages in the Amazon Forest

“…Previous studies carried out in the Amazon tested the effect of factors, such as the amount of leaf litter and competition, on the ant community (Bastos & Harada, 2011;Baccaro et al, 2012), but the influence of climate is still poorly known. Seasonal variations in climate affect insects directly and indirectly (Wolda, 1988).…”

Ciências ambientais: fauna e flora da Amazônia

“…Com a finalidade de inferir sobre o estado de conservação da reserva foi realizado o agrupamento das espécies em grupos funcionais, com base nas guildas tróficas (siLvEstrE;brAnDÃo;siLvA, 2003) complementadas por Delabie et al (2000), em função da biologia e comportamento das espécies.…”