Ant diversity inhabited oil palm plantations in a peatland in Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Johari A, Hermanto MA, Wulandari T. 2021. Ant diversity inhabited oil palm plantations in a peatland in Sumatra, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 158-163. Ant community is one of the soil biotic components with diverse roles, including pollinators, predators, decomposers, parasites, and herbivores. Changes in land use from natural habitats to plantations affect the diversity and composition of ants because these groups are very vulnerable to environmental changes. The purpose of the study was to analyze the diversity of ants (Formicidae) found in peatland planted with oil palm. The study was conducted on peatland in Gambut Jaya village, Sungai Gelam sub-district, Muaro Jambi district, Indonesia from October 2019 to May 2020. The research was conducted through surveys in two peatland locations (natural peatland and oil palm plantation) using the purposive sampling technique through the stages of transect making, field sampling, sample preparation, and identification. A total of 2636 individuals of ants were collected from natural peatland, while 3183 individuals were found in oil palm plantations. Eight ant species were identified from both study sites belong to four subfamilies, namely Dolichoderinae, Formicinae, Myrmicinae, and Ponerinae. Among the species, Dolichoderus thoracicus were most dominant, composed 63.6% in natural peat-land and 73.6% in oil palm plantation. The diversity index of ant species in natural peatland was higher (0.97) than that in oil palm plantations (0.88), indicate the change in the abundance and diversity of ant species in oil palm plantations. Therefore, efforts to preserve the habitat of ants by maintaining their microhabitat and resource, as well as conserving the important species such as natural enemies of pests, need to be taken into account in peatland management.

The presence of Myopopone castanea Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as a predator in oil palm plantations

“…Lichtenstein et al [16] explained that the presence of predators and the abundance of predators are influenced by the presence of prey and the behavior of the prey. The results of a study by Johari et al [17] which explored the diversity of ant species in peatlands, also did not find M. castanea ants in oil palm plantations on the peatlands they explored, as well as the results of research by Yanarita et al [18] which only found obtained 2 types of ant species, namely Solenopsis invicta and Monomorium minimum in the peatland of the Jelutong forest, Central Kalimantan. Peatland often has special characteristics such as high acidity and low water content.…”

Effect of farmer's behavior in cocoa management on insect diversity in Salayo Cocoa Plantation, West Sumatra, Indonesia

“…assumed that influenced by the presence of cocoa leaf litter at the insect sample collection area. Johari et al (2021) stated that Anoplolepis sp. is one of the most common ant species found in an oil palm plantation because litter is still found in the location that allows Anoplolepis sp.…”