Authors:
Hugo de Jesus Leal Barros, Elke Hellen Fernandes Matias, Kivia Letícia dos Santos Reis, Maíra Fernandes Souza Silva, Danilo Elias De Oliveira, Clarissa Mendes Knoechelmann, Felipe Fernando da Silva Siqueira |
Abstract:
The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of anthropogenic disturbances on the ant
community and on the Amazonian landscape in areas of tropical rain forest. The study was
conducted in two areas: Cabo Rosa Forest and Tauari Forest with different levels of human
disturbances in the municipality of Marabá, Pará, Brazil. A characterization of the descriptors of
anthropogenic activities was carried out for each study area in order to generate an index of
anthropogenic disturbance. The vegetation structure was classified into: exposed soil, low,
medium and high vegetation cover through NDVI. Ant sampling was carried out using pitfall
traps. The vegetation structure, diversity and abundance parameters were related to the areas.
Similarities between the species composition of the ant communities were verified by a
similarity analysis. We found that human disturbances are modifying the vegetation structure by
reducing the forest cover of the tree stratum and leaving the landscape with a higher occurrence
of open areas. Regarding the ant community, we corroborate the hypothesis that anthropic
disturbances are reducing the local biodiversity. Thus, this study shows that anthropogenic
disturbances have negative effects on the Amazonian landscape and on the ant community
through the reduction of forest cover and decrease in ant biodiversity. These changes can cause the conversion of climax communities in early successional stages and reduce the ecological
services provided by ants (e.g. seed dispersal). |
