Hymenoptera: Formicidae
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DOI: 10.5327/Z2176-947820180180 ANT ASSEMBLAGES (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) ASSOCIATED TO ENVIRONMENTS OF A RURAL PROPERTY IN THE EXTREME WESTERN REGION OF THE STATE OF SANTA CATARINA ASSEMBLEIAS DE FORMIGAS (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) ASSOCIADAS A AMBIENTES DE UMA PROPRIEDADE RURAL DO EXTREMO OESTE CATARINENSE Junir Antonio Lutinski ABSTRACT PhD. in Animal Biodiversity at the The conversion of natural environments into agricultural areas has led to habitat Universidade Federal de Santa fragmentation and caused impacts on biological communities. This study Maria (UFSM). Professor of the evaluated the richness and abundance of ant assemblages from different Graduate Program in Health Science, environments within a small rural property. The study was conducted in Universidade Comunitária Regional December 2015 in the Palma Sola municipality, extreme western region of the de Chapecó (Unochapecó) – state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The sampled environments included a permanent Chapecó (SC), Brazil. preservation area, a forest fragment, a corn crop, a tobacco crop and a pine reforestation. Pitfall traps and manual collections were used. The observed Cladis Juliana Lutinski richness totaled 69 species. Only two species, Camponotus rufipes and Pheidole MSc. in Environmental Science, lignicola, occurred in the five environments sampled. Overall, 65.3% of the Unochapecó. Biologist of Biology variation in ants’ occurrence, according to the sampled environments, was Laboratory, Universidade Federal explained by the principal component analysis (PCA) components. This study da Fronteira Sul (UFFS) – presents new results on the ant diversity from rural areas, and may provide Chapecó (SC), Brasil. potential subsidies for management and conservation plans. Juliane Freitag Beling Keywords: agro ecosystems; agrochemicals; ant fauna; conservation; richness. Nursing Student, Unochapecó – Chapecó (SC), Brazil. RESUMO A transformação de ambientes naturais em áreas agrícolas vem provocando Maria Assunta Busato a fragmentação ambiental e gerando impactos sobre as comunidades de PhD. in Biology, Universitat de organismos. Este estudo avaliou a riqueza e a abundância das assembleias Barcelona. Professor of the de formigas de ambientes que compõem uma propriedade rural. O estudo Graduate Program in Health foi conduzido no município de Palma Sola, extremo oeste catarinense, no Science, Unochapecó – Chapecó (SC), mês de dezembro de 2015. Os ambientes avaliados foram uma área de Brazil. preservação permanente, um fragmento florestal, uma lavoura de milho, uma lavoura de tabaco e um reflorestamento de pinus. Foram utilizadas Vanessa Corralo armadilhas de queda e coleta manual. A riqueza amostrada foi de 69 PhD. in Biology, UFSM. Professor espécies. Apenas duas espécies, Camponotus rufipes e Pheidole lignicola, of the Graduate Program in ocorreram nos cinco ambientes amostrados. Ao todo, 65,3% da variação Health Science, Unochapecó – das ocorrências de formigas segundo os ambientes amostrados foi explicada Chapecó (SC), Brazil. pelos componentes da análise de componentes principais (ACP). Este estudo apresenta indicativos da diversidade presente em ambientes rurais e pode Corresponding address: representar subsídios para planos de manejo e conservação. Junir Antonio Lutinski – Rua Beija- Flor, 254 E – Efapi – CEP 89809-760 – Palavras-chave: agroecossistemas; agrotóxicos; mirmecofauna; conservação; riqueza. Chapecó (SC), Brasil – E-mail: [email protected] Received on: 08/02/2016 Accepted on: 11/30/2017 12 RBCIAMB | n.47 | mar 2018 | 12-23 Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) associated to environments of a rural property in the extreme western region of the state of Santa Catarina INTRODUCTION The conversion of natural environments into agri- ce (CHEVALIER et al., 2013; PÉREZ-SÁNCHEZ et al., cultural areas (TANENTZAP et al., 2015) has led to 2013; HOLDEFER et al., 2017), they do not clearly a growing concern about the impacts on biologi- emphasize the diversity of assemblages or aspects cal communities caused by monocultures, habitat that could interfere on the ants conservation. fragmentation and pesticide use (GALINDO-LEAL; CÂMARA, 2003; EDWARDS et al., 2014). However, Ants have been regarded as bioindicator organis- little is known about the impacts of conventional ms due to their wide distribution, rapid response to agricultural crops on the richness and abundance of environmental changes and biological relevance in organisms inhabiting directly affected areas. Likewi- different trophic levels (CREPALDI et al., 2014; BHAR- se, it remains poorly known the role of small forest TI et al., 2016; LUTINSKI et al., 2017). In agro ecosys- fragments, permanent preservation areas (APP) and tems, ants act in seed dispersal, soil enrichment reforestations as potential reservoirs (DECOCQ et al., and aeration, although species like Atta spp. and 2016), contributing for the maintenance of insect di- Acromyrmex spp. may damage crops (LUTINSKI et al., versity in the mosaic of environments that typically 2008; 2017; NICKELE et al., 2016). compose small rural properties. The ants present high richness of species and are eco- The western region of the Brazilian state of Santa Ca- logically important in the different strata of terrestrial tarina is characterized, with regard to its economy, by ecosystems (BACCARO et al., 2015). The richness and the family farming with the predominance of small diversity of ants tend to increase according to the properties (up to 25 hectares), whose livelihood is ba- complexity of the environments, due to the greater sed on grain planting (corn, soy, beans, and wheat), availability of present niches (ROCHA et al., 2015; milk production, pig farming, poultry and tobacco pro- HOLDEFER et al., 2017). In order to evaluate the envi- duction (IBGE, 2015). The land used on these farms ronmental impact of these insects, it has been propo- is often characterized by a fragmented environment sed that these insects should be used as a tool for the destined to distinct activities. It includes environ- environmental monitoring of areas under anthropo- ments destined to agricultural crops, pastures, per- genic disturbance conditions. manent preservation, conservation, and reforestation (LUTINSKI et al., 2017). The biological communities in The ants present characteristics such as the easy sam- such environments suffer varying impacts related to pling, high abundance, broad geographic distribution, agricultural activities, ranging from minimal impacts importance in the functioning of the ecosystems, and in preserved fragments to more severe impacts in the well-known ecology and taxonomy (AGOSTI et al., cultivated areas, as for instance the frequent use of 2000; ROCHA et al., 2015). Ants have been used in the pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, nematicides and evaluation of pesticide contamination, in habitat dis- fungicides) (CHAGNON et al., 2015). turbances, in the evaluation of the impact of defores- tation (ILHA et al., 2009), in the urbanization process The study of ant assemblages in small farms contri- impact (LUTINSKI et al., 2013a), in the monitoring of butes for understanding the key factors for the ant mining areas (ROCHA et al., 2015) and energy produc- diversity conservation, as well as to the sustainabi- tion (LUTINSKI et al., 2017). Studies focusing on the lity of the different farm environments, given that diagnosis and conservation of the ant fauna on rural Formicidae is one of the most diverse insect taxa properties in the south of Brazil are rare (HOLDEFER (HÖLLDOBLER; WILSON, 1990; LUTINSKI et al., 2017; et al., 2017). In this context, researches are needed HOLDEFER et al., 2017), characterized by its wide to identify resilient species capable of colonizing such distribution and high richness and abundance in ter- environments and exploring the importance of perma- restrial environments (PÉREZ-SÁNCHEZ et al., 2013; nent preservation and environmental protection areas WIELGOSS et al., 2013). The number of studies on for biodiversity conservation in small rural properties. the occurrence of ants in agricultural ecosystems is growing, and though these studies discuss eco- The knowledge about the richness and abundance of logical aspects of some species of major importan- ant assemblages in a given ecosystem can support con- 13 RBCIAMB | n.47 | mar 2018 | 12-23 Lutinski, J.A. et al. servation plans (ILHA et al., 2009; LAWES et al., 2017). • To characterize the ant assemblages in five environ- Information on the ant fauna from small farm environ- ments from a rural property located in the extreme western region of Santa Catarina; ments contributes to understand the impact of con- ventional farming monocultures on these insects, and • To compare the five environments regarding the ri- chness of their ant assemblages; to comprehend the role of protected environments as biodiversity reservoirs. • To evaluate the relationship between the abundan- ce of ant assemblages and the five environments In this context, the aims of this study were: sampled within the rural property. MATERIAL AND METHODS Characteristics of the sampled environments The study was conducted in a rural property loca- • A forest fragment (FF) with no history of deforesta- ted in the municipality of Palma Sola (26º37’19”S, tion and with a dense undergrowth vegetation; 53º40’01”W), extreme western region of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study site is an area of appro- • A pine reforestation (PR) aged 20 years, with sparse ximately 19 ha composed by small