Diversity of bacteria and invertebrates and its influence on the structure of the communities of litter ants in areas of Atlantic Rainforest

• Grant number: 10/50973-7
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2010 - June 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Santina de Castro Morini
• Grantee: Maria Santina de Castro Morini
• Home Institution: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa, Pós-Graduação e Extensão. Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Mogi das Cruzes , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The litter of the tropical forests is pointed as an environment of high morphologic and functional diversity; models that explain this diversity must help to understand the processes that structuralize the diversity in tropical forests, being able to collaborate in programs of recovery and management. During the studies related to processes FAPESP N. 98/14509-0 and N. 05/58556-8, we evidenced the existence of one high variability of species of ants in the litter in areas of Atlantic Rainforest. Several reports argue the causes of this variation, therefore the ants are important elements for the structure: of the organization of litter communities; however, an analysis including Bacteria and others invertebrates of the trophic net in the litter wasn't tested yet for the tropical Biome. The present project considers the study, to construct causal models of the factors that determine the richness and composition of litter ants. To reach this objective, we intend to determine the richness and abundance of other selected invertebrates, the richness of bacteria and the structure of the litter. The selected areas for the accomplishment of the project belong to the Itapeti Mountain Range, a dense rainforest hardly known in relation to the fauna, flora and microbiota. We expect that the results allow the elaboration of general elucidative models about litter trophic structure in tropical forests, beyond supplying information about the diversity of species that could be used in programs of conservation of the region. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERNANDES, T. T.; SOUZA-CAMPANA, D. R.; SILVA, R. R.; MORINI, M. S. C. Ants that Frequently Colonize Twigs in the Leaf Litter of Different Vegetation Habitats. Sociobiology, v. 65, n. 2, p. 340-344, JUN 2018. Web of Science Citations: 1.

MARTELLO, FELIPE; DE BELLO, FRANCESCO; DE CASTRO MORINI, MARIA SANTINA; SILVA, ROGERIO R.; DE SOUZA-CAMPANA, DEBORA RODRIGES; RIBEIRO, MILTON CEZAR; CARMONA, CARLOS P. Homogenization and impoverishment of taxonomic and functional diversity of ants in Eucalyptus plantations. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, v. 8, FEB 19 2018. Web of Science Citations: 8.

DE SOUZA-CAMPANA, DEBORA RODRIGUES; SILVA, ROGERIO R.; FERNANDES, TAE TANAAMI; DE MORAIS SILVA, OTAVIO GUILHERME; SAAD, LUIZA PAINE; DE CASTRO MORINI, MARIA SANTINA. Twigs in the Leaf Litter as Ant Habitats in Different Vegetation Habitats in Southeastern Brazil. TROPICAL CONSERVATION SCIENCE, v. 10, JUN 5 2017. Web of Science Citations: 3.