Rainforest Types Research Articles

Liana habitat associations and community structure in a Bornean lowland tropical forest

Lianas (woody vines) contribute substantially to the diversity and structure of most tropical forests, yet little is known about the importance of habitat specialization in maintaining tropical liana diversity and the causes of variation among forests in liana abundance and species composition. We examined habitat associations, species diversity, species composition, and community structure of lianas at Sepilok Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia in northeastern Borneo among three soil types that give rise to three distinct forest types of lowland tropical rain forest: alluvial, sandstone hill, and kerangas (heath) forest. Alluvial soils are more nutrient rich and have higher soil moisture than sandstone soils, whereas kerangas soils are the most nutrient poor and drought prone. Lianas ≥0.5-cm in diameter were measured, tagged, and identified to species in three square 0.25-ha plots in each forest type. The number of lianas ≥0.5 cm did not differ significantly among forest types and averaged 1348 lianas ha−1, but mean liana stem diameter, basal area, estimated biomass, species richness, and Fisher’s $$\upalpha$$ diversity index were all greater for plots in alluvial than sandstone or kerangas forests. Liana species composition also differed greatly among the three habitats, with 71% of species showing significant positive or negative habitat associations. Sandstone forests were intermediate to alluvial and kerangas forests in most aspects of liana community structure and composition, and fewer species showed significant habitat associations with this forest type. Ranking of forest types with respect to liana density, biomass, and diversity matches the ranking in soil fertility and water availability (alluvial > sandstone hill > kerangas). These results suggest that edaphic factors play an important role in maintaining liana species diversity and structuring liana communities.

Comparing composition and diversity of parasitoid wasps and plants in an Amazonian rain-forest mosaic

Local species richness and between-site similarity in species composition of parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Pimplinae and Rhyssinae) were correlated with those of four plant groups (pteridophytes, Melastomataceae, Burseraceae and Arecaceae) in a western Amazonian lowland rain forest mosaic. The mosaic structure of the forest was related to variation in soils within the non-inundated terrain. Significant matrix correlation between patterns in parasitoid wasp species composition and plant species composition was found. Most of the overall correlation was due to idiobiont parasitoids of weakly concealed hosts, which attack host larvae and pupae in exposed situations, with two of the four ecologically defined parasitoid groups showing no correlation at all. A positive correlation between the number of plant species and the number of Pimplinae and Rhyssinae species at a site was found when the latter was corrected for collecting effort. Consequently, the degree of floristic difference between sites may be indicative of the difference in species composition of ichneumonids, and the species richness of plants may serve as a predictor of the species richness of parasitoid wasps. Although these results were obtained in a mosaic including structurally and floristically clearly different types of rain forest, the correlation coefficients were relatively low, and the present results lend only weak support to the idea of using plant distributions as indicators of animal distributions.

HOST PREFERENCE OF THE COMMON VAMPIRE BAT (DESMODUS ROTUNDUS; CHIROPTERA) ASSESSED BY STABLE ISOTOPES

Abstract We examined the host selection of common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) with stable carbon isotopes in an area that offered 2 isotopically contrasting food sources, either introduced livestock living on C4 plants or native rainforest mammals living on C3 plants. We predicted that vampire bats would have carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) similar to those of livestock if they select exclusively cattle. The δ13C of vampire bats averaged −10.3 ± 2.6‰ (mean ± SD) and was almost identical to that of livestock (X = −12.9 ± 1.6‰). Thus, both vampire bats and livestock are clearly members of the C4 food web. Typical rainforest mammals such as the fruit-eating bat Carollia perspicillata had a δ13C of −24.4 ± 0.6‰, which identified them as members of the C3 food web. The stable carbon isotope signature of local vampire bats implies a high degree of preference for cattle. We suggest that the population expansion of D. rotundus is only indirectly linked to increasing host densities and is more directly related ...

The Mammals of Mt. Kitanglad Nature Park, Mindanao, Philippines

Field surveys within and adjacent to the Mt. Kitanglad Nature Park in the Kitanglad Range of Bukidnon Province, north-central Mindanao, from 1992 to 1999, along with examination of previously existing specimens, have allowed us to document the local presence of 58 species of mammals, 53 native and five non-native. These include one gymnure (Erinaceidae), two shrews (Soricidae), one tree shrew (Tupaiidae), one flying lemur (Cynocephalidae), 14 fruit bats (Pteropodidae), eight roundleaf and horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae), nine evening bats (Vespertilionidae), one mastiff bat (Molossidae), two primates (Tarsiidae and Cercopithecidae), three squirrels (Sciuridae), 14 mice and rats (Muridae), two civets (Viverridae), one pig (Suidae), and one deer (Cervidae). Mt. Kitanglad Nature Park has one of the most diverse mammal faunas in the Philippines, exceeding that of the more widely known Mt. Apo. Three species, a bat (Alionycteris paucidentata) and two native mice (Crunomys suncoides and Limnomys bryophilus), are currently known only from high elevations in the Kitanglad Range. Species richness of bats declined with increasing elevation, but richness of non-volant small mammals increased five-fold from lowlands to a peak at ca. 2250 m, and then declined with further increases in elevation. We found distinctive mammal communities in lowland rainforest (up to about 1200 m elevation), montane rainforest (ca. 1200 m to 1900 m), and mossy rainforest (2000 m to the peak at 2950 m). We conclude that all three rainforest types, at all elevations, are important to the success of the park as a biological reserve. Over-hunting of large mammals and illegal logging both pose serious problems. Lowland rainforest has been removed on much of Mindanao, including the vicinity of the park, and thus is the habitat type that is currently most threatened. Habitat destruction, especially of lowland rainforest, threatens the mammals in the Kitanglad Range as well as the economic and social stability of the human population of northern Mindanao.

A DISCUSSION ON PLANT DIVERSITY OF TROPICAL MONTANE RAIN FORESTS IN XISHUANGBANNA, YUNNAN

This paper discusses the results of a previously published paper on the plant diversity of the tropical montane rain forests in Xishuangbanna, which was based on six sampling plots. The six plots are from quite different habitats at different altitudes and with conspicuously different physiognomic, floristic and species richness characteristics and actually represent different classification types of vegetation. Based on the vegetation classification of Yunnan suggested by Wu (1987), plots I and II, which are dominated by Millettia leptobotrya (Papilionaceae), could represent a secondary tropical seasonal rain forest in the region. Plots V and VI, which are dominated by species of Lauraceae and Fagaceae, could represent the so-called monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, while plots III and IV, which are in the upper montane cloudy zone with dense epiphytic moss plants on the trees, could be a type similar to the mossy evergreen broad-leaved forest. Some other problems in the data analysis and comparisons of biodiversity among the different forest types in the paper also are discussed. However, the results presented in the paper did reveal some characteristics of plant species diversity along altitudinal gradients in tropical montane forests in Xishuangbanna, but the data could not be used for explaining plant diversity of the particular vegetation type of the tropical montane rain forest in Xishuangbanna, Southern Yunnan.

Nutritional differences and leaf acclimation of climbing plants and the associated vegetation in different types of an Andean montane rainforest

Climbing plants are known to play an important role in tropical forest systems, but key features for their distribution are only partly understood. Investigation was carried out to find if climbers differ from self-supporting vegetation in their adjustment of leaf parameters over a wide variety of light regimes in different forest types along an altitudinal gradient. Relative photon flux density (PFDrel) was assessed above 75 pairs of strictly linked climbers and supporting vegetation on seven plots between 2,020 and 2,700 m a.s.l. along a mountain range in South-Ecuador up to the Páramo vegetation. Leaf samples from both growth forms were analyzed for leaf area (LA), specific leaf mass (LMA), mass and area-based carbon and nitrogen concentration (C, Carea, N, and Narea) and concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn and Al. Leaf size of climbers was independent of general light condition, whereas the leaf size of the self-supporting vegetation increased in shade. LMA increased as expected with altitude and irradiance for both growth forms, but climbers generally built smaller leaves with lower LMA. N, P, and K concentrations were higher in the leaves of climbers than in their supporters. Relationships of LMA and Narea to the light conditions were more pronounced within the climbers than within their supporters. Slope for the regression between climber's Narea and LMA was twice as steep as for the supporter leaves. Al accumulators were only found within the self-supporting vegetation. The investigated traits indicate improved adjustment towards light supply within climbers compared to self-supporting vegetation. Thus climbing plants seem to have a higher potential trade off in resource-use efficiency regarding irradiance and nutrients.

Distribution, habitat and conservation of two threatened stag beetles, Hoplogonus bornemisszai and H. vanderschoori (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) in north-east Tasmania

The distribution and habitat of two stag beetles, Hoplogonus bornemisszai and H. vanderschoori (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) listed under the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 were investigated. The number of sites of occurrence for H. bornemisszai was increased from 4 to 28 and its extent of occurrence was calculated to be 1,200 ha (12 km2). The number of sites of occurrence for H. vanderschoori was increased from 3 to 22 and its extent of occurrence was 9,510 ha (95 km2). Both species appeared to have patchy distributions and occurred at variable population densities. H. vanderschoori was found predominantly in wetter forest types than H.bornemisszai including rainforest and mixed forest types, but was not found in regenerating wet eucalypt forest. The ranges of the two species did not overlap. However, the range of H. bornemisszai is contiguous with that of another threatened stag beetle, H. simsoni. Together, the ranges of the three species indicate the presence of a biogeographical mosaic. Only 20% of potential habitat for H. bornemisszai, and 30% for H. vanderschoori, occurs in reserves or areas bound by a conservation covenant. Conservation measures are recommended for the maintenance of populations of these species in areas subject to forestry activities.

Annual water balance and seasonality of evapotranspiration in a Bornean tropical rainforest

This study presents the results of 2 years combined field measurements of water vapor exchange with the atmosphere and simplified model calculations at Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (4°12′N, 114°02′E). The study site was located in a lowland mixed dipterocarp forest, a major type of Bornean tropical rainforest, where there is no clear seasonality in environmental factors such as radiation, temperature, vapor pressure deficits and precipitation; instead, unpredictable dry spells often occur throughout the year. Modified [Priestley, C.H.B., Taylor, R.J. (1972). On the assessment of surface heat flux and evaporation using large-scale parameters, Mon. Weather Rev. 100, pp. 81–92] and equilibrium evaporation expressions enabled us to understand further the environmental control of water vapor exchanges with the atmosphere and to produce a complete gap-filled data set of the hydrologic fluxes within this environment. The equilibrium evaporation from a well-watered surface sufficiently reproduced the transpiration rate ( T r ); any discrepancies between the equilibrium and actual evaporation rates were caused by unpredictable intra-annual dry spells, which reduced transpiration. There were some discrepancies during the study period because of exceptional dry sequences, but in normal years the annual transpiration rate can be obtained from the equilibrium evaporation expression. The estimated annual T r (1193.1 mm) and evapotranspiration (1545.0 mm) rates were nearly identical to the highest values reported for some humid tropical forests. Although, there were exceptional dry sequences during the study period, the annual average fraction of available energy dissipated by T r at this site (0.69) was almost the same as the medium value between the dry and wet seasons in Amazonian tropical forests. This implies that the annual dynamics of the latent heat flux for this tropical rainforest are under more humid conditions than those of other tropical rainforests.

Indirect evidence that frugivorous birds track fluctuating fruit resources among rainforest patches in the Northern Territory, Australia

Abstract Rainforests are naturally fragmented in the Northern Territory of Australia. A census of fruit and frugivorous bird abundance was taken monthly in 10 rainforest patches for 1 year and quarterly for a second year to investigate spatial and temporal patterns among the patches. Fruit abundance showed a marked annual cycle, with a peak around December in the wet season. Four of six bird species showed a significant seasonal fluctuation in abundance, and for three of them, these patterns were different among rainforest types. Three species also showed a significant tendency to be most abundant in the rainforest type with the most fruit in any month. We interpret these results as evidence that birds track fruit resources among rainforest patches of different types. The abundance of two of the species (figbird and pied imperial‐pigeon) was highly variable and did not reveal significantly different temporal trends among rainforest types. These species are probably even more mobile than the other species, although the data in the present study cannot be used to test this theory. The conservation of frugivorous birds and of the plants whose seeds they disperse will require the protection of networks of rainforest patches.

Cool Temperate Rainforest Lichens of Victoria, Australia: Floristics and Distribution

Lichen floristics and distribution were examined in cool temperate rainforests of Victoria, Australia. Forty sites were sampled, ten from each of the Otways, Yarra Ranges, Baw Baw, and Errinundra regions. A total of 165 lichen species were recorded, representing 38 families. Seventeen species are new for Victoria. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling showed three lichen groups that corresponded with the rainforest types in which they occurred. A sub-group of lichen species were considered widespread and represented the core of Victoria's rainforest lichen flora.

Genotypic control and environmental plasticity - foliar physiognomy and paleoecology.

Genotypic control and environmental plasticity - foliar physiognomy and paleoecology.

Comparison of temperate and tropical rainforest tree species: growth responses to temperature

Abstract Aim To investigate whether the latitudinal distribution of rainforest trees in Australia can be explained by their growth responses to temperature.Methods The rainforest canopy trees Acmena smithii (Poir.) Merrill & Perry, Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br., Castanospermum australe Cunn. & C. Fraser ex Hook., Eucryphia lucida (Labill.) Baill., Heritiera trifoliolata (F. Muell.) Kosterm., Nothofagus cunninghamii (Hook.) Oerst., Sloanea woollsii F. Muell. and Tristaniopsis laurina (Sm.) Wilson & Waterhouse were selected to cover the latitudinal range of rainforests in eastern Australia. Seedlings of these species were grown under a range of day/night temperature regimes (14/6, 19/11, 22/14, 25/17, and 30/22 °C) in controlled‐environment cabinets. These seedlings were harvested after 16 weeks to determine differences in growth rate and biomass allocation among species and temperature regimes.Results The temperate species showed maximum growth at lower temperatures than the tropical species. However, there was considerable overlap in the growth rates of the temperate and tropical rainforest types across the temperature range used. Maximum growth of the tropical rainforest types was associated with changes in biomass allocation whereas the temperate rainforest types showed no significant changes in biomass allocation across the temperature range.Main conclusions All species showed temperatures for maximum growth that were considerably higher than those previously shown for maximum net photosynthesis. The growth responses to temperature of the rainforest species under these experimental conditions provided limited evidence for their restriction to certain latitudes. These growth responses to temperature showed that the physiological assumptions used in various types of vegetation‐climate models may not be true of Australian rainforest trees.

Soil Nutrient Contents and Their Characteristics of Seasonal Changes Under Shorea chinensis Forest in Xishuangbanna

Shorea chinensis forest of Xishuangbanna (21°29′ N, 101°34′ E) is a rainforest type of tropical rainforest in South_east Asia entering into Xishuangbanna, which is significant in connecting with the flora of tropical rainforests in South_east Asia and elucidating characteristics of tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna. In southern Mengla county, Xishuangbanna, Shorea chinensis forest grows on the mountain in altitude 700_900 m, the soil is latosol, annual mean temperature is 21.1 ℃, and annual mean precipitation is 1 500_1 600 mm. In order to know the soil nutrient content, organic matter, total N, P, K, available N, P, K and their seasonal changes under Shorea chinensis forest in Xishuangbanna, we took soil samples in the top soil (0_10 cm) and under the top soil (10_25 cm) from 47 plots among 10 different patches of Shorea chinensis forest in May and November, 1999. 23 plots were located in valleys and 24 plots in lower mountainous areas. The results showed there are obvious difference in the soil nutrient content in different soil layers, in different seasons and in different areas: 1) in different soil layers, nutrients were rich in the top soil (0_10 cm) and poor under 10 cm depth. The content of nutrients under 10cm depth was about 56%_75% of the nutrients in top soil; available P content was only 0.039% of the nutrients in top soil. 2) Soil nutrient content changes with seasons; nutrients were higher before the rainy season than after the rainy season. The content of organic matter, total N, total P and total K in top soil after rainy season was 94%, 90%, 94% and 82% of the content before rainy season respectively, and the content of available N and available K in top soil after rainy season was 89%, 92% of the content before rainy season. Available P decreased sharply in top soil after rainy season; the content of available P in top soil after the rainy season was only 0.078% of the content before the rainy season. The change in nutrient content under top soil after rainy season was the same as the change in nutrient content in top soil. 3) Concerning soil nutrient content in different area, nutrients were also higher in valleys than in lower mountainous areas. The content of organic matter, total N, total P and total K in top soil in lower mountainous area were 79%, 80%, 84% and 83% of the content in valley respectively, while the content of available N, available P and available K were also lower in top soil in lower mountainous area than in valleys. From the above results, we can conclude that seasonal changes significantly affected total K and available P, but only slightly affected total P, available K and organic matter, and affected N content more in lower mountainous areas than in valleys. In the rainy season P content in soil is very poor. The environment and plant growth rhythm of Shorea chinensis forest have some effects on the soil nutrient content.

Sensitivity of tropical forests to climate change in the humid tropics of north Queensland

AbstractAn analysis using an artificial neural network model suggests that the tropical forests of north Queensland are highly sensitive to climate change within the range that is likely to occur in the next 50–100 years. The distribution and extent of environments suitable for 15 structural forest types were estimated, using the model, in 10 climate scenarios that include warming up to 1°C and altered precipitation from –10% to +20%. Large changes in the distribution of forest environments are predicted with even minor climate change. Increased precipitation favours some rainforest types, whereas decreased rainfall increases the area suitable for forests dominated by sclerophyllous genera such as Eucalyptus and Allocasuarina. Rainforest environments respond differentially to increased temperature. The area of lowland mesophyll vine forest environments increases with warming, whereas upland complex notophyll vine forest environments respond either positively or negatively to temperature, depending on precipitation. Highland rainforest environments (simple notophyll and simple microphyll vine fern forests and thickets), the habitat for many of the region’s endemic vertebrates, decrease by 50% with only a 1°C warming. Estimates of the stress to present forests resulting from spatial shifts of forest environments (assuming no change in the present forest distributions) indicate that several forest types would be highly stressed by a 1°C warming and most are sensitive to any change in rainfall. Most forests will experience climates in the near future that are more appropriate to some other structural forest type. Thus, the propensity for ecological change in the region is high and, in the long term, significant shifts in the extent and spatial distribution of forests are likely. A detailed spatial analysis of the sensitivity to climate change indicates that the strongest effects of climate change will be experienced at boundaries between forest classes and in ecotonal communities between rainforest and open woodland.

The effect of climate change on tropical rainforest vegetation pattern

The effect of climatic change on tropical vegetation is of global and regional concern because of the high biodiversity and the potential feedback to the carbon, water, and nutrient cycles. One of the most critical aspects for assessing broad-scale consequences of climate change is our understanding of how vegetation may change. Models relating vegetation and environmental conditions can be developed for large regions. For a simple application of static models of vegetation–environment relationships, one would have to assume that the probability of species (or vegetation) occurrence conditional on environmental conditions is constant in time (abbreviated as the POCEC assumption). This assumption is critical and difficult. In this paper, we evaluate how the spatial arrangement of forest pattern may constrain vegetation change as predicted by a spatially static artificial neural network (ANN) model. We have relaxed the POCEC assumption by subjoining a spatially dynamic component based on the cellular automata approach. The ANN model quantifies a most suitable forest type based on the conditional probability of vegetation in the environmental space, whereas the cellular automata model imposes spatial constraints on the transition to the best-suited type. We adapt the cellular automata algorithm to successively increase spatial constraints, hence relaxing the POCEC assumption. Our study area is located in Northern Queensland and encompasses 20 000 km 2. We evaluate the effect of the +1 °C mean annual temperature and the −10% mean annual precipitation change. A comparison of predictions of vegetation change with the different models indicates that the spatial arrangement of vegetation in the ‘Wet Tropics’ region may impose relatively few constraints for the region's potential change. Depending on the strength of spatial effects included in the models, the predicted future vegetation patterns differ from 1 to 10% of the study area. However, if in addition to spatial constraints ecological constraints also are considered (e.g. prohibiting several transitions that would appear very unlikely to experienced forest researchers), the predictions may differ by as much as 27%, showing a relatively strong dependence of predictions on assumptions about patch-level processes. Furthermore, using different models allows us to assess the uncertainty associated with predictions. The results demonstrate a relative certainty of a predicted decrease of notophyll rainforest types and an increase of medium open forests and woodlands, respectively, whereas the predictions of mesophyll vine forest and wet sclerophyll vegetation differ strongly among different models.

Subtropical drosophilids in Australia can be characterized by adult distribution across vegetation type and by height above forest floor

Understanding the pattern in which adult drosophilids of different species are distributed across and within different vegetation types is necessary for accurate interpretation of their local ecology and diversity. Such studies have been conducted mainly in temperate regions, and there is no basis for extrapolating their conclusions to tropical areas. This study describes the vertical distribution (0-20 m) of drosophilids attracted to banana baits in five different vegetation types in subtropical eastern Australia including open woodland, and rain-forest types. The distribution of most of the 15 common species could be characterized three-dimensionally by vegetation type and height above forest floor. Only one species, Scaptodrosophila lativittata, was common in all vegetation types and it was a canopy species in rain forests and a ground-level species in open woodland. Vertical distribution of some species clearly matched that of their larval hosts, but it did not in others. For example, the fungivore Leucophenga scutellata was mostly trapped well above the forest floor, yet it breeds at ground level, suggesting behavioural mode can influence vertical distributions. We conclude that the vertical dimension, although still poorly understood in relation to drosophilid habitats, needs to be taken into account when conducting and interpreting studies aimed at understanding drosophilid populations and communities in the subtropics.

Pollination and phenology of flowers in the canopy of two contrasting rain forest types in Amazonia, Colombia

Pollination and phenology of flowers in the canopy of two contrasting rain forest types in Amazonia, Colombia

Litter and fine-root production in three types of tropical premontane rain forest in SE Venezuela

We investigated the productivity of three premontane primary forest sites in an extremely nutrient-poor environment on the Guyana shield in SE Venezuela. Aboveground litter production (total 5.58; leaves 4.30 Mg ha−1 year−1) was low, but comparable to other tropical forests. Due to the low nutrient status, net production of fine roots was among the highest ever reported (11.14 Mg ha−1 year−1). Only 20% of fine root stock was alive, 80% consisted of necromass. Similar values were obtained for dead and living root tips. Element concentrations in fine roots (including bio- and necromass), especially Ca, were low, whereas Al concentrations were relatively high. The upper limit of average fine root lifetime was 253 days. We conclude that the high proportion of necromass was mainly caused by slow mineralisation of nutrient-poor fine roots.

High plant diversity of lowland rainforest vestiges in eastern Madagascar

Based on cartography, floristic inventory and vegetation analysis in the north and south of the Eastern Domain of Madagascar we identified three original tropical rainforest types which are among the world's most biodiverse known sites for plants: the littoral forest on sand, the lowland forest on gneiss and the lowland forest on basalt. Floristic and structural comparisons were conducted on 37 plots of 50×10m. Multivariate analysis indicates that floristic composition is correlated with abiotic factors of rainfall, latitude, soil composition, and marine influence; the structure of the undergrowth is generally homogeneous and the canopy is more or less open. Many reserves must be created on gneiss, sand and basalt all along the eastern coast to preserve biodiversity from the deforestation process. On basalt, this is especially urgent because about only 10 000 ha of a very ancient forest that shelters numerous botanical novelties remain today.

Ants as bioindicators of habitat disturbance: validation of the functional group model for Australia's humid tropics

A functional group model of ant community composition has been widely used in Australia to analyse biogeographical patterns of ant community structure and the responses of ant communities to disturbance. The model has provided valuable support to the widespread use of ant communities as bioindicators of ecological change. However, the model was developed from studies of arid-zone faunas, and its applicability to the World Heritage rainforests of Queensland's humid tropics has not yet been validated. Here we test predictions based on the functional group model for ant communities in Queensland's humid rainforests, by documenting ant community composition and its responses to disturbance on the Atherton Tablelands. Five sites were studied, comprising two relatively undisturbed reference sites representing contrasting rainforest types, and three previously cleared sites, two of which were undergoing revegetation. A variety of sampling techniques were employed, including pitfall trapping, litter extractions, baiting, and general searching. A total of 50 ant species from 29 genera were collected. Site species richness was highest at the reference sites, and lowest at the unvegetated disturbed site, and overall was negatively related to mean ground temperature. As predicted by the functional group model, behaviorally dominant dolichoderines were uncommon or absent at the reference sites, and the most common ants were Generalized myrmicines and Opportunists. Also as predicted, habitat disturbance favored Opportunists, and, as the disturbance involved canopy clearance, this led to colonization by Iridomyrmex and other Dominant dolichoderines. Opportunists represented about 40% of total ants in traps at the reference sites, compared with 80–95% at the disturbed sites. Except one species, Tropical Climate Specialists and Specialist Predators were absent from disturbed sites. In conclusion, patterns of ant composition in relation to disturbance on the Atherton Tablelands conform to the functional group model that has been widely applied to ant faunas elsewhere in Australia. The model may therefore play an important role in the use of ants as bioindicators of ecological change in the World Heritage rainforests of this region.