Effects of selective logging on the arboreal ants of a Bornean rainforest

Abstract

We examined the effect of selective logging and corresponding forest canopy loss on arboreal ant diversity in a tropical rainforest. Arboreal ants were collected from an unlogged forest plot and from forest plots selectively logged 14 years and 24 years earlier in Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia, using a canopy fogging method. Selective logging was associated with a significant decrease in canopy cover and an increase in understory vegetation density relative to unlogged forest. Our study showed that selective logging in primary forest might not dramatically decrease total species number and overall abundance of arboreal ants; however, it may influence the species composition and dominance structure of the ant community, accompanied by an increase in abundance of shrub-layer species and trophobiotic species. In view of the results of this study, management techniques that minimize logging impact on understory vegetation structure are likely to help maintain the conservation value of logged forests for arboreal ants. Our results also suggest that accurate assessment of the impacts on biodiversity should not be based only on measurement of species number and overall abundance, but also on analysis of species composition and community structure.

Within‐tree distribution of nest sites and foraging areas of ants on canopy trees in a tropical rainforest in Borneo

“…Many ant species coexist within a single canopy tree in tropical rainforests (e.g., Wilson 1987;Stork 1991;Floren andLinsenmair 1997, 2000;Harada and Adis 1997;Schulz and Wagner 2002;Widodo et al 2004). However, previous studies primarily collected ants using fogging, which is an unsuitable method for identifying the nest sites and foraging areas of individual colonies.…”

“…Fogging is a popular method for studying the species richness of arboreal ants (e.g., Wilson 1987;Stork 1991;Floren andLinsenmair 1997, 2000;Harada and Adis 1997;Schulz and Wagner 2002;Watt et al 2002;Widodo et al 2004). This method is effective for determining the species composition on trees and for elucidating differences in species composition between arboreal and ground ants (Brühl et al 1998;Hashimoto et al 2006); however, it is not suitable for determining fine-scale within-tree distributions on canopy trees because the nest sites and foraging areas of individual colonies cannot be determined.…”

“…Many ant species inhabit the canopies of primary tropical rainforests, and dozens of ant species can coexist within a single canopy tree (e.g., Wilson 1987;Stork 1991;Floren andLinsenmair 1997, 2000;Harada and Adis 1997;Schulz and Wagner 2002;Widodo et al 2004). Although some previous studies have demonstrated that the coexistence of arboreal ant species is affected by various abiotic and biotic factors (e.g., Jackson 1984;Davidson 1998;Floren and Linsenmair 2000;Albrecht and Gotelli 2001;Blüthgen et al 2004), no general and comprehensive conclusions have been reached regarding the factors that allow numerous ant species to coexist on a single canopy tree and that clarify which factors become relatively more important under what conditions.…”

Functional structure of ant and termite assemblages in old growth forest, logged forest and oil palm plantation in Malaysian Borneo

“…Greater shade tolerance may therefore allow Generalised Myrmicinae to escape competition inside forests (Andersen 2000). This pattern of loss of forest specialist canopy ants and replacement by open-habitat species when forests are logged has been observed by Widodo et al (2004). Specialist Predators may decline in modified habitats because they feed on prey such as termites, which are lost with disturbance.…”

Investigating residual effects of selective logging on ant species assemblages in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka

“…1997; Vasconcelos et al, 2000;Fimbel et al, 2001b;Widodo et al, 2004). In the long term, this can affect leaf litter composition and the soil chemistry (Negrete-Yankelevich et al, 2007).…”