Vinasse and Its Influence on Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Communities in Sugarcane Crops

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important crop within the Brazilian socioeconomic landscape. There is a constant need for approaches to increase sustainability at all steps of the production chain. Irrigating sugarcane crops with vinasse is one of these approaches, because vinasse is a residue of sugarcane processing that can be used to fertilize these same crops. However, due to its chemical properties, vinasse may be harmful to soil fauna. Analyzing the structure and functional organization of ant communities is a fast and practical way to monitor sites affected by the addition of chemicals. This study compared the structure of soil ant communities in vinasse-irrigated sugarcane crops to those in secondary forests adjacent to the crops. In total, 32 genera and 107 species of ants were observed; of these, 30 species foraged in crop fields and 102 foraged in forests. Twenty-five percent of the species were present in both crops and forests. Ant communities in crop soil had poorer taxonomic composition and lower richness in each functional group compared to communities in forest remnants. However, regardless of vegetation type, epigeic ants were more diverse, and Dorymyrmex brunneus (crop) and Pachycondyla striata (forest) were very frequent. Vinasse did not increase the diversity of epigeic and hypogeic ants, but it may affect the community composition.

A comparative study of ant diversity under three coverages in a Neotropical coffee landscape

“…The former is widely distributed globally, classified as hyperdiverse and one of the most common genera in the Neotropics, with approximately 500 species (Wilson, 2003); Solenopsis is also described as very common in leaf litter, with more than 90 species in the Neotropics (Fernández, 2003). These genera have been reported in farming systems of several countries (Pacheco, Vasconcelos, Groc, Camacho, & Frizzo;Saad, Souza-Campana, Bueno, & Morini, 2017;Perfecto & Vandermeer, 2015), and some of their species have been indicated as potential predators of the coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari) (Gallego & Armbrecht, 2005;Philpott & Armbrecht, 2006).…”

Assembleias de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) respondem ao processo de recuperação de áreas de preservação permanente?

“…O Brasil concentra uma das maiores biodiversidades do mundo (RIBAS et al, 2012), porém atividades como agricultura, pecuária, instalações industriais, produção de energia e urbanização causam impacto sobre os biomas e, consequentemente, representam ameaças à sustentabilidade ambiental e à conservação de espécies sensíveis às alterações (GARDNER, 2010). A demanda pela produção de energia cresce diretamente associada à preocupação com os impactos ambientais provenientes desse processo (SAAD et al, 2017). Decorrentes da construção de barragens ocorrem a supressão de vegetação, o desalojamento de espécies, o revolvimento e a compactação do solo (KLIEMANN & DELARIVA, 2015).…”

Fauna De Formigas Em Áreas De Preservação Permanente De Usina Hidroelétrica

“…A preocupação com os impactos ambientais cresce com a demanda de energia (SAAD et al, 2017). A região sul do Brasil vem se consolidando na produção de hidroeletricidade contando, atualmente, com 48 usinas hidrelétricas (UHE) e 146 pequenas centrais hidrelétricas (PCH) em operação (AGÊNCIA NACIONAL DE ENERGIA ELÉTRICA, 2016).…”