Plant richness drives ant diversity in Eucalyptus‐dominated landscape on Brazilian savanna

Abstract

AbstractThe conversion of natural areas into agricultural systems and silviculture is the greatest threat to biodiversity in tropical ecosystems such as the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). This landscape transformation could lead to the loss of native species, including ants that cannot tolerate the new environment dominated by exotic plant species, such as Eucalyptus spp. The present study aims to investigate ant diversity and their functional groups to verify which vegetation and landscape variables explain their changes in a neglected formation of Cerrado (Campos Murundus) surrounded by Eucalyptus forests planted. We sampled ants in 29 sites, which presented a gradient of richness, average plant heights, and distances from Eucalyptus plantations and permanent protected areas (PPAs). We found 83 ant species from six functional guilds (arboreal, Camponotini, epigeic omnivorous, higher Attini, lower Attini and specialist predators). Plant richness best explained the diversity of ants. Higher distance from Eucalyptus plantations also positively explained the frequency of functional groups, whereas higher distance from the PPAs negatively explained the frequency of Camponotini species. Our study showed that vegetation (plant richness) and landscape variables help to understand ant diversity in a Eucalyptus‐dominated landscape. This reaffirms the importance of preserving the vegetation and their associate fauna in Campos Murundus by increasing the extent of conservation of this threatened biome.