Abstract
This study identified the main biological mechanisms governing the diversity of ants on different ecological time scales. Ants were sampled in 15 plots distributed in early, intermediate and late stages of succession (five plots per stage) at the Parque Estadual da Mata Seca, Brazil. At each sample point, unbaited pitfall traps were installed in hypogaeic, epigaeic and arboreal strata. We collected 95 ant species from 26 genera and nine subfamilies. Our results indicated that there was an increase in species richness in advanced stages of succession. We also observed that ant assemblages were different among successional stages. For the arboreal and epigaeic strata, species richness did not change with succession progression, but species composition of these two strata differed among successional stages. Unlike to arboreal and epigaeic ants, hypogaiec ant species richness was higher in the intermediate and late stages of succession and the composition of hypogaeic ants differed among successional stages. Similarity between ant species foraging in arboreal and epigaeic strata decreases with succession progression and β-diversity was higher in advanced successional stages. Additionally, species richness was higher in the dry season, whereas the composition of ant assemblages did not change between seasons. A considerable fraction of the ant assemblage was found only in advanced stages of succession, demonstrating the importance of secondary habitats in maintaining biodiversity in dry forests.
Highlights
Species diversity can be influenced by processes acting at different spatial and temporal scales (Godfray & Lawton, 2001)
Four species of ants were found in all three successional stages and in both seasons: Camponotus blandus, Cyphomyrmex transversus, Pheidole sp. 01 and Pheidole sp. 07
The species Camponotus substitutus was found in all three stages of succession but only in the wet season, and Ectatomma edentatum, Camponotus pr. lespesii, Cephalotes grandinosus, Solenopsis sp. 01, Solenopsis sp. 11 and Solenopsis saevissima were found in all three stages but only in the dry season (Appendix S2)
Summary
Species diversity can be influenced by processes acting at different spatial and temporal scales (Godfray & Lawton, 2001). Spatial scales have received increased attention in the analysis of the relationship between biodiversity and changes in landscape structure (Ribas et al, 2003; Kalacska et al, 2004), recently few studies focused on the effects of time scales This shift in the focus of the studies occurred because the variation in the number of species in a landscape depends on the ecological processes that operate on multiple time scales (Lambi, 1996). In the first model, altered habitats will initially be colonized by pioneer species, which are later replaced by intermediate and climax species This replacement occurs due to the niche requirements of the species and/or through competition, which is altered throughout the succession. If the early colonizers inhibit the establishment of other species, the assemblage
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