Value of Riparian Vegetation Remnants for Leaf-Litter Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Human-Dominated Landscape in Central Veracruz, Mexico.
Riparian remnants are linear strips of vegetation immediately adjacent to rivers that may act as refuges for biodiversity, depending on their habitat quality. In this study, we evaluated the role of riparian remnants in contributing to the diversity of leaf-litter ants by determining the relationship between ant diversity and several riparian habitat characteristics within a human-dominated landscape in Veracruz, Mexico. Sampling was carried out in 2012 during both dry and rainy seasons at 12 transects 100 m in length, where 10 leaf-litter samples were collected along each transect and processed with Berlese-Tullgren funnels and Winkler sacks. A total of 8,684 individuals belonging to 53 species, 22 genera, and seven subfamilies were collected. The observed mean alpha diversity accounted for 34.4% of the total species recorded and beta diversity for 65.6%. Species richness and composition were significantly related to litter-layer depth and soil compaction, which could limit the distribution of ant species depending on their nesting, feeding, and foraging habits. Riparian remnants can contribute toward the conservation of ant assemblages and likely other invertebrate communities that are threatened by anthropogenic pressures. In human-dominated landscapes where remnants of riparian vegetation give refuge to a diverse array of myrmecofauna, the protection of the few remaining and well-preserved riparian sites is essential for the long-term maintenance of biodiversity.
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, México. magarciamartinez@hotmail.com.
Miguel Á
MÁ
García-Martínez
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, México.
Federico
F
Escobar-Sarria
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, México.
Fabiola
F
López-Barrera
Ecología de Artrópodos en Ambientes Extremos, Unidad Multidisciplinaria de Docencia e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, 76230, Querétaro, México.
Gabriela
G
Castaño-Meneses
Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Carretera antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, México.
Jorge E
JE
Valenzuela-González
D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000145:classification*; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D008800:Mexico; D010944:Plants; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil
D012987:Soil
diversity; habitat characteristics; myrmecofauna; tropical montane cloud forest