Ant community structure (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in four environments with different levels of human disturbance

Ecología Austral 24:229-237 (2014)The diversity and biological communities structure are affected by the intensification of human activities. This study evaluated the ant community structure from four types of environments with different levels of human disturbance intensity at ten cities in the southern region of the Atlantic Forest Biome. The environments were: forest fragments, green areas, schools, and recycling centers. Two samplings were conducted in 2011, one in February and March and another in October and November. To compare the ant assemblages, it was performed a rarefaction analysis based on occurrences number. The composition of the assemblages was evaluated by a nestedness test using the NODF metric. The association of ant species with the environments was obtained by an Indicator Species Analysis (ISA). Significant differences in richness and abundance were found between the environments, showing a downward trend in schools and recycling centers in relation to forest fragments and green areas. There was a nesting pattern along the gradient, ie the assemblies belonging to the high human pressure environments are subsets of the conserved ones. There was no change in the composition of the assemblies, but a significant loss of species from one environment to another. The forest fragments had the highest number of indicator species (12), followed by green areas (4) and schools (3). The results can help in the implementation of urban development policies and development of conservation plans.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Lutinski, Junir A., Lutinski, Cladis J., Cortes Lopes, Benedito, Barros de Morais, Ana B.
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	spa
Published:	Asociación Argentina de Ecología 2014
Online Access:	https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/26
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