Selective logging in public pine forests of the central Iberian Peninsula: Effects of the recovery process on ant assemblages

Given that land-use change is the main cause of global biodiversity decline, there is widespread interest in adopting land-use practices that maintain high levels of biodiversity, and in restoring degraded land that previously had high biodiversity value. In this study, we use ant taxonomic and functional diversity to examine the effects of different land uses (agriculture, pastoralism, silviculture and conservation) and restoration practices on Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) biodiversity. We also examine the extent to which ant diversity and composition can be explained by vegetation attributes that apply across the full land management spectrum. We surveyed vegetation attributes and ant communities in five replicate plots of each of 13 land-use and restoration treatments, including two types of native vegetation as reference sites: cerrado sensu stricto and cerradão. Several land-use and restoration treatments had comparable plot richness to that of the native reference habitats. Ant species and functional composition varied systematically among land-use treatments following a gradient from open habitats such as agricultural fields to forested sites. Tree basal area and grass cover were the strongest predictors of ant species richness. Losses in ant diversity were higher in land-use systems that transform vegetation structure. Among productive systems, therefore, uncleared pastures and old pine plantations had similar species composition to that occurring in cerrado sensu stricto. Restoration techniques currently applied to sites that were previously Cerrado have focused on returning tree cover, and have failed to restore ant communities typical of savanna. To improve restoration outcomes for Cerrado biodiversity, greater attention needs to be paid to the re-establishment and maintenance of the grass layer, which requires frequent fire. At the broader scale, conservation planning in agricultural landscapes, should recognize the value of landuse mosaics and the risks of homogenization.

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“…), Europe (Castracani et al . ; Gomez & Abril ; Verdinelli et al . ), Asia (So & Chu ; Narendra et al .…”

Section: Methodsunclassified

Biodiversity responses to land‐use and restoration in a global biodiversity hotspot: Ant communities in Brazilian Cerrado

2018

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“…Subordinate Camponotini, Tropical Climate Specialists, most Generalist Myrmicinae, and most Cryptic Species were found only in the bush areas of backdunes due to the complexity of the vegetation structure and the available nesting sites provided by the canopy and leaf litter. The disappearance of the Hot Climate Specialists from the bush areas is expected because they are associated with open, hot, and stressed habitats (Pfeiffer et al 2003;Gomez and Abril 2011). One unexpected finding was a cold climate specialist species (T. texanus) located in the slack at Grayton Beach State Park.…”

Section: Odontomachus Haematodus Xmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ant community structure and response to disturbances on coastal dunes of Gulf of Mexico

et al. 2014

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Coastal dunes are complex and fragile ecosystems. The decrease in environmental stressors from sea to inland creates zonation patterns of habitats, which support high biodiversity. Although coastal dunes have been examined in primary succession studies for more than 100 years, invertebrates have received much less attention than other taxa. In this study, we examined ant community composition and its relationship with vegetation structure on dunes, and used ants as indicators to reveal the influence of anthropogenic disturbances on these habitats. Quadrat sampling, hand collecting, and beating plants were used to sample ants on coastal dunes fringing the northern Gulf of Mexico. Ants representing 44 species were found, with diversity and number of functional groups increasing from foredunes to backdunes. Bush areas of the backdunes supported a unique ant community. Ant diversity was correlated with plant richness, stem number, and plant cover, but the correlation was not consistent among habitats. Ant diversity was lower in degraded, young-planted, and re-built but not in old-planted sites. In addition, different types of disturbance changed the ant community and functional groups in different ways. Our study emphasizes the importance of protecting the whole dune system, especially the backdunes, which support high diversity but are often completely destroyed by urban development. Data from this research provides a benchmark to examine trajectories of coastal dune ecosystem degradation or recovery when exposed to natural or anthropogenic disturbances.

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“…Ants have been widely used as bioindicators of environmental and ecological condition following disturbance, particularly in relation to mine site rehabilitation (Majer, 1983;Bisevac and Majer, 1999;Ottonetti et al, 2006). Studies also demonstrate their potential as bioindicators where disturbance may be comparatively less severe such as timber extraction (Vasconcelos et al, 2000;Gomez and Abril, 2011) or where endogenous fire regimes are altered by fire management (Vanderwoude et al, 1997;Oliver et al, 2000;Stephens and Wagner, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The scheme was developed for the analysis of ant community structure across biogeographical regions (Andersen, 1995), but also provides a framework for assessing local community dynamics in relation to habitat disturbance in Australia and elsewhere (e.g. Ottonetti et al, 2006;Gomez and Abril, 2011). In land management assessments, relative changes in the abundance of groups can indicate levels of disturbance (Andersen, 1991;Vanderwoude et al, 1997) and recovery (Bisevac and Majer, 1999;Ottonetti et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of prescribed burning on epigaeic ant communities in eucalypt forest of South Australia

Beaumont

Mackay

Whalen

2012

Forest Ecology and Management

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Selective logging in public pine forests of the central Iberian Peninsula: Effects of the recovery process on ant assemblages

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Biodiversity responses to land‐use and restoration in a global biodiversity hotspot: Ant communities in Brazilian Cerrado

Biodiversity responses to land‐use and restoration in a global biodiversity hotspot: Ant communities in Brazilian Cerrado

Ant community structure and response to disturbances on coastal dunes of Gulf of Mexico

The effects of prescribed burning on epigaeic ant communities in eucalypt forest of South Australia

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