Ant species richness and interactions in canopies of two distinct successional stages in a tropical dry forest

Antoniazzi, Reuber; Garro, Raphael Neiva Souza Lima; Dáttilo, Wesley; Ribeiro, Sérvio Pontes; Neves, Frederico S.

doi:10.1007/s00114-019-1614-0

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…For the current valid taxonomic name of each species, we consulted "AntCat" (Bolton, 2012). Our species determinations were then further verified by a reference collection from previous work in the same area (Antoniazzi et al, 2019). We deposited all material in the Laboratório de Ecologia de Insetos (LEI), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil.…”

Section: Ant Samplingmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…While food resources can be more predictable and of higher quality in tropical canopies (Yanoviak & Kaspari, 2000), they can be more variable and changeable in more seasonal biomes (Belchior et al., 2016; Castro et al., 2020). For instance, extrafloral nectary activity can change substantially between wet and dry seasons, yet there is still little evidence of changes in extrafloral nectar availability altering the arboreal ant fauna through time (Antoniazzi et al., 2019; Camarota et al., 2015). Moreover, there are striking differences in the quality and stability of shelter resources between the canopy and litter strata.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We used specific methods for sampling the ants in each stratum. In the canopy, we used two complementary techniques: arboreal pitfall trapping and an entomological beating technique (Antoniazzi et al., 2019; Campos et al., 2006). Arboreal pitfall trapping consisted of placing 15 cm diameter plastic pots filled with water and soap and collecting after 48 h. The entomological beating technique consisted of using an entomological umbrella made from an inverted cloth funnel, with a surface of 1 × 1 m, and a plastic bag attached to the bottom (for more details, see Antoniazzi et al., 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, forest succession drives changes in the insect community structure in different ecosystems (Boege et al., 2019; Bongers et al, 2004; Jeffries et al., 2006). In particular, variation in ant communities across forest succession has been associated with changes in forest complexity and heterogeneity of micro‐environmental conditions (Klimes et al., 2012; Marques et al., 2017) but can result in unpredictable patterns in the canopy (Antoniazzi et al., 2019). Shifts in microclimatic conditions and distribution of potential resources may also be altered by forest gaps (d’Oliveira & Ribas, 2011) and anthropogenic activities that leave regions of a forest in distinct stages of secondary succession (Fibich et al., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatiotemporal dynamics of the ant community in a dry forest differ by vertical strata but not by successional stage

et al. 2021

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Ants are diverse and ecologically important organisms in tropical forests, where their spatiotemporal distribution can be highly complex. This complexity arises mainly from marked differences in microclimatic conditions and resource availability through space and time that is even more evident in highly seasonal environments, such as tropical dry forests. However, it is unclear how seasonality interacts with other factors that might shape temporal variation of ant composition (β-diversity), like vertical strata and habitat disturbance. Our goal was to examine the potential influence of vertical stratification and the successional stage on the spatiotemporal variation of a tropical dry forest's ant species composition. We assessed whether species turnover or nestedness was the main component determining the spatiotemporal β-diversity of ant communities across the canopy and litter strata. We sampled canopy and litter ants in ten plots, half in the early and half on the late stage of secondary succession at four times, twice in wet and twice in dry season. A high species turnover defined the spatiotemporal β-diversity of canopy and litter ant communities across years and seasons in our focal dry forests. Importantly, the temporal ant species composition was much more stable in the canopy than in the litter. Moreover, we found that the ant community's temporal dynamics was consistently high across successional stages, not differing in the temporal β-diversity between early and late succession. Our results provide valuable insights into the potential underlying causes of community assembly and spatiotemporal dynamics in seasonal habitats, like the highly threatened and diverse tropical dry forests.

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Section: Ant Samplingmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatiotemporal dynamics of the ant community in a dry forest differ by vertical strata but not by successional stage

et al. 2021

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“…Woody vines can also increase ant species richness per tree, independent of tree height (Adams et al ., 2017). Previous studies have also reported an increase in ant species richness with increasing tree height (Campos et al ., 2006; Klimes et al ., 2012; Antoniazzi et al ., 2019), which is mainly due to the increase in available microhabitats associated with the overall area of the canopy. According to our results, tree size combined with a higher abundance of climbing plants results in higher species richness than either of these two factors alone (Adams et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental drivers of ant dominance in a tropical rainforest canopy at different spatial scales

Antoniazzi

Guevara

García‐Franco

et al. 2020

Ecological Entomology

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1. Tropical trees accommodate a high co-occurrence of ant species, mainly due to the high diversity of microhabitats available. However, a few ant species are highly abundant, dominating resources and defending territories in tree canopies. Although arboreal ants have been studied extensively, little is known about the structural drivers of ant spatial dominance in tropical rainforest canopies. 2. This study investigated whether canopy tree microhabitats and micro-environmental factors (given by branch characteristics and spatial position of sampling points within tree crowns) are determinants of ant presence and species composition in a Mexican tropical rainforest. It also analysed whether whole tree characteristics, that is, the tree canopy, given by tree size and epiphyte/climbing plant richness and abundance, could determine ant spatial dominance of food resources. 3. This study found a higher probability of ant presence on baits lower in the canopy, probably a result of ants foraging in the zones between the treetops and the ground layer. No microhabitat or micro-environmental variables were related to ant species composition. It also observed less dissimilarity of species composition between baits and between trees than between plots, revealing that each plot presents a unique set of species. 4. Moreover, increased tree height and epiphyte/climbing plant abundance (i.e., structural heterogeneity and greater foraging area) and lower epiphyte/climbing plant richness led to decreasing ant dominance. 5. This study's findings reveal that, while micro-environmental factors have almost no influence on the foraging of dominant ant species within canopy trees, the size and heterogeneity of trees shape ants' spatial dominance.

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Plants with extrafloral nectaries share indirect defenses and shape the local arboreal ant community

Moura

Del‐Claro

2022

Oecologia

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Ant species richness and interactions in canopies of two distinct successional stages in a tropical dry forest

Cited by 17 publications

References 76 publications

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the ant community in a dry forest differ by vertical strata but not by successional stage

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the ant community in a dry forest differ by vertical strata but not by successional stage

Environmental drivers of ant dominance in a tropical rainforest canopy at different spatial scales

Plants with extrafloral nectaries share indirect defenses and shape the local arboreal ant community

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