Ant rarity and vulnerability in Brazilian Atlantic Forest fragments

Author(s):Show less -

Silva, Nathalia S. ; Maciel, Everton A. ; Prado, Livia P. ; Silva, Otavio G. M. ; Barbosa, David Aciole ; Andrade-Silva, Joudellys ; Souza-Campana, Debora R. ; Silva, Rogerio R. ; Branda, Carlos R. F. ; Delabie, Jacques H. C. ; Morini, Maria S. C.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biological Conservation; v. 296, p. 15-pg., 2024-06-26.

Abstract

The rarity of organisms is related either to a natural origin or human-induced impacts, and rare species are more susceptible to extinction. The Atlantic Forest is an endangered biome with a diverse ant fauna. This study focuses on identifying forms of rarity in ant species recorded in the leaf litter in fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, as a more acute knowledge of rare species can support more appropriate conservation strategies. To do so, we applied the Rabinowitz method to leaf litter ants, considering data on geographical distribution, habitat specificity, and local occurrence to classify them into "forms of rarity". We then investigated the variation in the composition of forms between phytophysiognomies, and whether environmental variables predict the richness of rare species or not. We also analyzed the degree to which each species is endangered using lists of fauna threatened with extinction from two databases on ants in the Atlantic Forest. In total, we analyzed 242 ant species collected in the forest leaf litter, with 50.4 % classified as "Common", and the remaining 49.6 % presenting some "form of rarity". In general, phytophysiognomies have a similar composition of forms. Environmental predictors influence each form differently. Among all species analyzed (rare and common), seven presented some degree of threat (global, national and state lists). Therefore, conservation strategies must aim at the inclusion of rare ants to ensure their diversity. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/50973-7 - Diversity of bacteria and invertebrates and its influence on the structure of the communities of litter ants in areas of Atlantic Rainforest
• Grantee: Maria Santina de Castro Morini
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 10/50294-2 - Structure of litter ant communities in extensive Eucalyptus grandis dunnii Maiden culture in Atlantic Forest areas
• Grantee: Maria Santina de Castro Morini
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 22/01974-8 - Filling knowledge gaps of Hymenoptera species from the Neotropics
• Grantee: Lívia Pires do Prado
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 21/01919-4 - Collection of ants Harold G. Fowler (1950 - 2018): recovery, incorporation and availability of a collection
• Grantee: Maria Santina de Castro Morini
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/16861-5 - Litter resources in areas of Atlantic domain in Southeast Brazil: association between ants' morphology and nest structure
• Grantee: Maria Santina de Castro Morini
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants