Taxonomic, species and functional group diversity of ants in a tropical anthropogenic landscape

Abstract

In tropical dry landscapes, biodiversity conservation is dependent upon both the protection of natural areas and the sustainable management of the agricultural matrix. We analyzed the taxonomic, species and functional group diversity of ants in three neighboring habitats with different degrees of anthropic disturbance in Veracruz, Mexico. A total of 34,957 ant workers belonging to 89 species, 34 genera, 19 tribes and 7 subfamilies were recorded. Primary forest had the highest species richness and most even distribution of species among the taxonomic levels, followed by secondary forest and active pasture. Because high species turnover among habitats increased species richness at the landscape level, the three neighboring habitats that we sampled are important for conservation biodiversity and together have a high conservation value for ants and probably for other invertebrates as well. Species of specialized functional groups were more frequent in primary forest, while those belonging to generalist and opportunistic groups were more frequent in active pasture. Human-disturbed areas in the vicinity of protected areas have an important role as reservoirs of biodiversity and should be included in landscape management practices designed to improve arthropod conservation in the tropics.