Diversidad de tres gremios de hormigas en cafe tales de so rubra, de sol y bosques de risaralda

Abstract

During 2001-2002, a study on the myrmecofauna (Mymenoptera: Formicidae) in coffee plantations was conducted int the Apia municipality (Risaralda) in order to evaluate the impact of modern agricultural practices on the associated biodiversity. Twelve coffee farms were selected and classified into three shade managements (treatments) and a control consisting of forest patches. Twenty Im 2 -plots were located on each farm and at each plot ants were collected manually and with a mini-Winkler from the leaf litter. Ants were also sampled from the nearest coffee bush. Finally, biotic and abiotic variables in the area were measured. The ants were grouped into guilds according to the classification of Delabie et al. for South America. A total of 22.985 individuals belonging to 115 morphospecies was recorded. Polygeneric shaded coffee (organic managed coffee) had the greatest species richness. Ants were grouped into three guilds: cryptic litter-dwelling, abundant and coffee bush. The cryptic guild was the most sensitive to changes in coffe management, being very reduced in sun plantations, while abundant ants and ants on coffee bushes were not affected in the same way. The presence of the cryptic guild was positively affected by vegetation cover and negatively by soil temperature. We concluded that an environmentally friendly agricultural management, like organic coffee with diverse shade, is a matrix that favors the diversity of ants from forest patches in the rural coffee landscape.