Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat
Abstract We tested the hypothesis of a negative relationship between vegetation characteristics and ant species richness in a Brazilian open vegetation habitat, called candeial. We set up arboreal pitfalls to sample arboreal ants and measured the following environmental variables, which were used as...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Instituto Internacional de Ecologia
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Series: | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
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Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842016000400864&lng=en&tlng=en |
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author | A. C. M. Queiroz C. R. Ribas |
author_facet | A. C. M. Queiroz C. R. Ribas |
author_sort | A. C. M. Queiroz |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract We tested the hypothesis of a negative relationship between vegetation characteristics and ant species richness in a Brazilian open vegetation habitat, called candeial. We set up arboreal pitfalls to sample arboreal ants and measured the following environmental variables, which were used as surrogate of environmental heterogeneity: tree richness, tree density, tree height, circumference at the base of the plants, and canopy cover. Only canopy cover had a negative effect on the arboreal ant species richness. Vegetation characteristics and plant species composition are probably homogeneous in candeial, which explains the lack of relationship between other environmental variables and ant richness. Open vegetation habitats harbor a large number of opportunistic and generalist species, besides specialist ants from habitats with high temperatures. An increase in canopy cover decreases sunlight incidence and may cause local microclimatic differences, which negatively affect the species richness of specialist ants from open areas. Canopy cover regulates the richness of arboreal ants in open areas, since only few ant species are able to colonize sites with dense vegetation; most species are present in sites with high temperature and luminosity. Within open vegetation habitats the relationship between vegetation characteristics and species richness seems to be the opposite from closed vegetation areas, like forests. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:09:14Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-88f38930ba924536966117c63c42fbe6 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1678-4375 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-22T14:09:14Z |
publisher | Instituto Internacional de Ecologia |
record_format | Article |
series | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
spelling | doaj.art-88f38930ba924536966117c63c42fbe62022-12-21T18:23:14ZengInstituto Internacional de EcologiaBrazilian Journal of Biology1678-437576486487010.1590/1519-6984.02015S1519-69842016000400864Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitatA. C. M. QueirozC. R. RibasAbstract We tested the hypothesis of a negative relationship between vegetation characteristics and ant species richness in a Brazilian open vegetation habitat, called candeial. We set up arboreal pitfalls to sample arboreal ants and measured the following environmental variables, which were used as surrogate of environmental heterogeneity: tree richness, tree density, tree height, circumference at the base of the plants, and canopy cover. Only canopy cover had a negative effect on the arboreal ant species richness. Vegetation characteristics and plant species composition are probably homogeneous in candeial, which explains the lack of relationship between other environmental variables and ant richness. Open vegetation habitats harbor a large number of opportunistic and generalist species, besides specialist ants from habitats with high temperatures. An increase in canopy cover decreases sunlight incidence and may cause local microclimatic differences, which negatively affect the species richness of specialist ants from open areas. Canopy cover regulates the richness of arboreal ants in open areas, since only few ant species are able to colonize sites with dense vegetation; most species are present in sites with high temperature and luminosity. Within open vegetation habitats the relationship between vegetation characteristics and species richness seems to be the opposite from closed vegetation areas, like forests.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842016000400864&lng=en&tlng=enenvironmental heterogeneitymicroclimatevegetation characteristicshierarchical partitioningcandeia |
spellingShingle | A. C. M. Queiroz C. R. Ribas Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat Brazilian Journal of Biology environmental heterogeneity microclimate vegetation characteristics hierarchical partitioning candeia |
title | Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat |
title_full | Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat |
title_fullStr | Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat |
title_full_unstemmed | Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat |
title_short | Canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat |
title_sort | canopy cover negatively affects arboreal ant species richness in a tropical open habitat |
topic | environmental heterogeneity microclimate vegetation characteristics hierarchical partitioning candeia |
url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842016000400864&lng=en&tlng=en |
work_keys_str_mv | AT acmqueiroz canopycovernegativelyaffectsarborealantspeciesrichnessinatropicalopenhabitat AT crribas canopycovernegativelyaffectsarborealantspeciesrichnessinatropicalopenhabitat |