Arboreal Ant Assemblages Respond Differently to Food Source and Vegetation Physiognomies: a Study in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest

Authors

  • Janete Jane Resende Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
  • Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
  • Evandro Nascimento Silva Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
  • Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie CEPEC-CEPLAC
  • Gilberto M. M. Santos Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v60i2.174-182

Keywords:

preference, resource preference, matrix quality, Formicidae, Community Ecology

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze assemblages of arboreal ants in different vegetation physiognomies within the Tropical Moist Forest (Atlantic Rain Forest) domain. The study was carried out at the Michelin Ecological Reserve, State of Bahia, Northeast of Brazil. We used sardine (protein resource) and honey (carbohydrate resource) baits to collect ants foraging in three vegetation types: (1) preserved native forest, (2) forest in regeneration (capoeira) with many invasive plants and (3) a mixed agroystem of rubber and cocoa tree plantation. We recorded 69 ant species attracted to the baits, 21 of them exclusive to honey bait and 25 exclusive to the sardine baits. The vegetation physiognomies preserved forest and rubber/cacao agrosystem showed higher species richness in relation to the forest in regeneration (capoeira), suggesting that rubber tree plantations can be a good matrix for the maintenance of some ant species typical of the forest matrix. The type of resource used is important for the structuring of the arboreal ant assemblages. The ants that were attracted to protein resources showed a guild composition that is more differentiated between vegetation types that of ants attracted to glucose resources.

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Author Biography

Gilberto M. M. Santos, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana

Dr. Gilberto Marcos de Mendonça Santos was educated at the Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil, and PhD degrees at the Universidade de São Paulo (Ribeirão Preto, Brazil), the latter under the direction of Professor Nivar Gobbi, one of the leading world experts on social biology of wasps.  Presently, Dr. Santos is professor of Ecology and Advanced Studies of ecology at Feira de Santana State University. During his teaching career he taught General Entomology, Biogeography  and Social Insects´s Biology. Dr. Gilberto M M Santos is Associated Editor of journal Sociobiology and Adjunt Editor of Journal Magistra. How do ecosystems work, and why is biodiversity important for ecosystem functioning? These are the core questions behind of Dr. Santos´s research. Currently the studies of Dr. Gilberto M M Santos show special interest in complex systems and their use for understanding biological networks (bee-plants foodweba, bee-parasit network and biological invasions). Since 2010 is the Coordinator of the postgraduate course in zoology from Feira de Santana State University

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Published

2013-06-29

How to Cite

Resende, J. J., Peixoto, P. E. C., Silva, E. N., Delabie, J. H. C., & Santos, G. M. M. (2013). Arboreal Ant Assemblages Respond Differently to Food Source and Vegetation Physiognomies: a Study in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. Sociobiology, 60(2), 174–182. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v60i2.174-182

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 2 (2013)

Section

Research Article - Ants

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