Landscape configuration modulates the presence of leaf-cutting ants in eucalypt plantations

Abstract

Pest responses to landscape complexity show variable patterns globally, primarily related to species traits and specific managed habitats. Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs) are native insects and important pests of plantation forests in South America. We evaluated the responses of LCA nests in young Eucalyptus plantations to different spatial contexts: land uses, interfaces (adjacent land use pairs), agroecosystems, and landscapes. We selected 30 sites in the littoral region of Argentina representing three types of land uses neighboring Eucalyptus plantations: adult eucalypt plantations, citrus plantations, and semi-natural habitats. At each site, we quantified and identified LCA nests and characterized landscape composition and configuration in circles of 250 m radius. LCA nest abundance and presence were similar across different land uses, interfaces, and agroecosystems. Nest presence decreased in landscapes with increasing mean perimeter/area ratio and citrus coverage, whereas LCA abundance showed a similar trend. This indicates that heterogeneous landscapes and those with greater citrus plantation coverage were less likely to have LCA nests. Our findings suggest that landscape configuration was the main predictor of the LCA presence. Understanding the dynamics of LCAs populations and their complex associations with landscape components will contribute to developing successful environmental pest management strategies for plantation forests.

Forest Systems, Soil Fauna, and Soil Features: How Field Management Change This Relationship?

“…Considered abundant in most terrestrial ecosystems, they can help in the processes of infiltration and distribution of water into the soil (Viles; Goudie; Goudie, 2021). However, they are also considered pests for forest crops, especially those planted such as pine and Eucalyptus, with the use of chemical products for control since before the transposition of seedlings (Cavigliasso et al, 2023;Scherf et al, 2022), which could be correlated with the low incidence of this group in ER. Also, for this area, there was a lower occurrence in relation to ER, of groups such as Oligochaeta and Chilopoda (TSBF) belonging to soil macrofauna.…”

Damage reduction of Acromyrmex lobicornis in Pinus ponderosa using mixed pine species in combination with push–pull tools

“…The studies have been conducted only on cassava, coffee, willow and Eucalyptus plantations (Blanton & Ewel, 1985;Cavigliasso et al, 2023;Chiles et al, 2022;Var on et al, 2007), and the results suggest that crop diversification can reduce the losses due to LCAs.…”