Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition
Habitat transformation and species loss bring enormous environmental damage, whereas establishing protected areas promotes more sustainable use of environmental resources through biodiversity conservation. In this study, we aimed to point out gaps in ant knowledge and provide a species checklist th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Sociobiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://periodicos.uefs.br/index.php/sociobiology/article/view/7878 |
| _version_ | 1811252573690134528 |
|---|---|
| author | Antonio Cesar Medeiros de Queiroz Livia Pires do Prado Rafael Almeida Cesarino Graziele S. Santiago Cynthia Valéria Oliveira Mariana A. Rabelo Carla R. Ribas |
| author_facet | Antonio Cesar Medeiros de Queiroz Livia Pires do Prado Rafael Almeida Cesarino Graziele S. Santiago Cynthia Valéria Oliveira Mariana A. Rabelo Carla R. Ribas |
| author_sort | Antonio Cesar Medeiros de Queiroz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Habitat transformation and species loss bring enormous environmental damage, whereas establishing protected areas promotes more sustainable use of environmental resources through biodiversity conservation. In this study, we aimed to point out gaps in ant knowledge and provide a species checklist that contributes to biodiversity conservation in the transition areas between Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, constantly threatened by land use changes. This checklist integrates data from previous studies developed at “Área de Proteção Ambiental do Rio Pandeiros” (APA Pandeiros), Minas Gerais, Brazil, involving ant diversity and their contribution to ecological processes accessed and described in the studies. We showed and discussed how authors managed and provided information regarding methodologies and habitats sampled. We listed 143 ant species formally named. Pheidole, Camponotus and Cephalotes were the most speciose genera, with more than ten species each. Among ants involved in ecological processes, 40 are linked to diaspore removal (part of seed dispersal) and 30 to carcass interaction (part of the decomposition process). Unbaited pitfall traps, epigeic stratum and Cerrado sensu stricto, were the top sampling method, stratum, and habitats among ant studies. We presented proposals for the best management and integration of data from surveys in APA Pandeiros (e.g., sharing the results of the studies with the APA managers, creating a database, and the local community). These surveys are fundamental for understanding biodiversity and ecological processes and provide valuable information to conservation biology. Therefore, neglecting the importance of the Cerrado-Caatinga transition can lead to irreparable setbacks for scientific knowledge and biodiversity.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:37:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9637e56bdb42431295e23bb0659ba5c9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0361-6525 2447-8067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:37:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sociobiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9637e56bdb42431295e23bb0659ba5c92022-12-22T03:24:56ZengUniversidade Estadual de Feira de SantanaSociobiology0361-65252447-80672022-09-0169310.13102/sociobiology.v69i3.7878Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga TransitionAntonio Cesar Medeiros de Queiroz0Livia Pires do Prado1Rafael Almeida Cesarino2Graziele S. Santiago3Cynthia Valéria Oliveira4Mariana A. Rabelo5Carla R. Ribas6Universidade Federal de LavrasMuseu Paraense Emílio Goeldi/MCTIC and Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São PauloUniversidade Federal de LavrasUniversidade Federal de Lavras and Instituto Federal do Norte de Minas GeraisUniversidade Federal de Lavras and Universidade Estadual de Santa CruzUniversidade Federal de Lavras and Fundação Jardim Botânico de Poços de CaldasUniversidade Federal de Lavras Habitat transformation and species loss bring enormous environmental damage, whereas establishing protected areas promotes more sustainable use of environmental resources through biodiversity conservation. In this study, we aimed to point out gaps in ant knowledge and provide a species checklist that contributes to biodiversity conservation in the transition areas between Cerrado and Caatinga biomes, constantly threatened by land use changes. This checklist integrates data from previous studies developed at “Área de Proteção Ambiental do Rio Pandeiros” (APA Pandeiros), Minas Gerais, Brazil, involving ant diversity and their contribution to ecological processes accessed and described in the studies. We showed and discussed how authors managed and provided information regarding methodologies and habitats sampled. We listed 143 ant species formally named. Pheidole, Camponotus and Cephalotes were the most speciose genera, with more than ten species each. Among ants involved in ecological processes, 40 are linked to diaspore removal (part of seed dispersal) and 30 to carcass interaction (part of the decomposition process). Unbaited pitfall traps, epigeic stratum and Cerrado sensu stricto, were the top sampling method, stratum, and habitats among ant studies. We presented proposals for the best management and integration of data from surveys in APA Pandeiros (e.g., sharing the results of the studies with the APA managers, creating a database, and the local community). These surveys are fundamental for understanding biodiversity and ecological processes and provide valuable information to conservation biology. Therefore, neglecting the importance of the Cerrado-Caatinga transition can lead to irreparable setbacks for scientific knowledge and biodiversity. http://periodicos.uefs.br/index.php/sociobiology/article/view/7878ant inventoriesecological roleopen vegetationNeotropical savannasTropical dry forest |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Cesar Medeiros de Queiroz Livia Pires do Prado Rafael Almeida Cesarino Graziele S. Santiago Cynthia Valéria Oliveira Mariana A. Rabelo Carla R. Ribas Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition Sociobiology ant inventories ecological role open vegetation Neotropical savannas Tropical dry forest |
| title | Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition |
| title_full | Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition |
| title_fullStr | Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition |
| title_short | Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of APA Pandeiros: A Perspective from a Decade of Research in an Environmental Protection Area in the Cerrado-Caatinga Transition |
| title_sort | ants hymenoptera formicidae of apa pandeiros a perspective from a decade of research in an environmental protection area in the cerrado caatinga transition |
| topic | ant inventories ecological role open vegetation Neotropical savannas Tropical dry forest |
| url | http://periodicos.uefs.br/index.php/sociobiology/article/view/7878 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniocesarmedeirosdequeiroz antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition AT liviapiresdoprado antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition AT rafaelalmeidacesarino antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition AT grazielessantiago antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition AT cynthiavaleriaoliveira antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition AT marianaarabelo antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition AT carlarribas antshymenopteraformicidaeofapapandeirosaperspectivefromadecadeofresearchinanenvironmentalprotectionareainthecerradocaatingatransition |