Dry Forest Fragmentation in Brazilian Cerrado and Its Effects on Communities of Ground Foraging Ants

Abstract

Ants can represent a useful model for studies on the impact of forest fragmentation because these organisms are found abundantly in soil and plants sensitive to changes in environmental conditions. Our study characterized the structure of ground foraging ant communities present in 10 fragmented areas of dry forest surrounding areas under soybean and maize cultivation. Using baited pitfall traps, our study identified 60 ant morphospecies, distributed in 21 genera. Species richness of ground foraging ants was not influenced by size of dry forest fragment. Fragment edge traps captured fewer species when compared with traps located in the center of the fragment. Species richness and species composition differed significantly between dry forest fragments and both cultivated crops as well as inter-crop periods. Dry forest fragments had the greatest ant species richness. Integrated knowledge of the mechanisms through which fragmentation effects alter ant communities can be useful for the development of strategies to mitigate harmful effects on those species affected, and to improve methods that can be used to evaluate the conservation value of the remaining natural environment.