Abstract
A survey of beetle assemblages of the subfamily Scolytinae was conducted in habitat gradients ranging from primary to secondary forests, cocoa plantations, and pastures in the Amazonian biome. Sampling was carried out in 2015, during February/March (rainy season), June (intermediary season), and September/October (dry season). A total of 4,534 Scolytinae were captured, comprising four genera and nine species. The most abundant species were Xyleborus affinis and Xyleborus volvulus , representing approximately 34% and 31% of the total abundance, respectively. Species of Scolytinae in general showed seasonality and greater abundance and richness in regions with greater coverage of plant litter. Keywords: Amazon, biodiversity studies, habitat preference, insects.
Highlights
This biodiversity loss threatens the sustainability of the region, with a consequent reduction of environmental services such as pest control, nutrient cycling, and maintenance of soil structure (Cajaiba and Silva, 2015; ValienteBanuet et al, 2015)
We addressed the following questions: (i) Does the composition of Scolytinae assemblages vary among the different habitats? (ii) Does the diversity of Scolytinae in the Amazon biome differ between seasons?
This study was performed near the city of Uruará, state of Pará, northern Brazil (Figure 1)
Summary
Several factors have been identified including the suppression of natural habitats, ecosystem fragmentation, overexploitation of natural resources, climate change, and introduction of alien species This biodiversity loss threatens the sustainability of the region, with a consequent reduction of environmental services such as pest control, nutrient cycling, and maintenance of soil structure (Cajaiba and Silva, 2015; ValienteBanuet et al, 2015). Land-cover changes is, a subject of great scientific and political interest in order to support strategic options for sustainable development, land-use planning, and natural resource management (Turner et al, 2007) In this context, ecological assessment and monitoring are important tools to support effective management of ecosystems and natural resources, and the use of pertinent indicators is crucial to measure and evaluate the status and trends of target environmental systems (Cajaiba and Silva, 2014). We addressed the following questions: (i) Does the composition of Scolytinae assemblages vary among the different habitats? (ii) Does the diversity of Scolytinae in the Amazon biome differ between seasons?
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