Neotropical Entomology ISSN: 1519-566X journal homepage: www.scielo.br/ne ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND BIONOMICS Flower-VisiƟ ng Insects of Five Tree Species in a Restored Area of Semideciduous Seasonal Forest FP FÙ¦ÊÝÊ, EM VÙÄ CEEFLORUSP, Depto de Biologia, Setor de Botânica, Faculdade de Filosofi a Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil Keywords Abstract Insect inventory, insect-plant interaction, pollinator, restoraƟ on indicator The reinstatement of biodiversity and ecological processes must be the major goal in restoration projects, which requires the Correspondence establishment of biological interactions in addition to native plant F®Ä P FÙ¦ÊÝÊ, Av Bandeirantes, population recovery. Therefore, we assessed the lower visitors 3900, Bloco 12, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil; of ive tree species in a restored area of Semideciduous Seasonal [email protected] Forest, in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. The specimens were collected using entomological net on lowers of Acacia polyphylla, Aegiphila Edited by Kleber Del Claro – UFU sellowianna, Croton ϔloribundus, Croton urucurana and Schinus Received 10 June 2010 and accepted 30 terebinthifolius from October 2007 to September 2008. A total of 139 December 2010 insect species belonging to ive orders were collected. Hymenoptera was the most diverse order collected. From a total of 37 families, Vespidae (15 species), Cabronidae (12), Apidae (10), Halictidae (10), Syrphidae (12), Tachinidae (6) and Hesperidae (7) were the richest ones. Schinus terebinthifolius lowers presented the most abundant and diverse insect visitors (60), suggesting it is an important attractive species to the fauna in restoration programs. Our data suggest that mutualistic interactions between some of these plants and their lower-visiting insects may be in a reinstatement process, and will support the design and monitoring of future restoration efforts. IntroducƟ on throughout the globe (Metzger 2003, Roberts et al 2009). However, there are still many uncertainties concerning Habitat loss and fragmentation are drastically altering the basic ecological concepts related to restoration activities structure and composition of tropical forests (Metzger (Ehrenfeld & Toth 1997). According to Michener (1997), 2000, Tabarelli et al 2004, Laurance et al 2006). As a the lack of a well-documented knowledge base for planning consequence, biological diversity is being lost at an restoration projects is related to the deiciency of formal unprecedented rate, and ecological processes (i.e. energy evaluations of successes and failures associated with them. low, nutrient cycling) as well as ecosystem services Successful restoration is, many times, limited by (pollination, climate regulation) (Ehrenfeld 2000) several environmental and biological factors (Souza & are undergoing detrimental changes. Such increasing Batista 2004). Standard restoration practices usually habitat devastation makes studies on conservation and emphasize structural aspects of biodiversity, such as plant restoration biology a priority. species richness and abundance. However, an approach In this context, restoration ecology is a relatively new focusing on the restoration of ecosystems’ functional science that during the past two decades has become vital to aspects, such as interactions between species, has been the sustainable development and maintenance of ecosystems increasingly recommended (Forup & Memmott 2005, Neotrop Entomol 40(4): 431-435 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil 431 Flower-VisiƟ ng Insects in a Restored Area of Forest Fragoso & Varanda Zych et al 2007, Forup et al 2008). Among the most de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state, Brazil important ecosystems services, pollination is one that (21°5’S, 47°50’W). Ribeirão Preto is located at a mean must be reinstated for restoration to be successful. altitude of 540 m, with well deined dry and wet seasons. In tropical forests, the majority of angiosperms are The dry season receives less than 30 mm rainfall in the allogamous (Bawa et al 1985a) and animal-pollinated coldest month, with average temperature rarely below (Bawa et al 1985b), with insects deinitively playing a 18°C, and in the wet season precipitation exceeds 250 major role on pollen transference for cross-fertilization. mm in the warmest month, with an average temperature Therefore, pollinators provide a critical service in greater than 22°C. terrestrial ecosystems (Allen-Wardell et al 1998, Kearns The restored forest was established between April et al 1998) and their importance in such ecosystems 1998 and March 2003 using mathematical design as can be proved by a broad body of empirical data. Many well as ecological succession concepts aiming for the studies have found that the disruption of plant-pollinator restoration and conservation of genetic variability interactions by habitat fragmentation can negatively of regional native trees. The irst established site (in affect both plant reproductive success (i.e. fruit set, thus 1998-1999) encompassed a 30,000 m2 area where 116 seed dispersal and seedling recruitment) (Cunningham thousand seedlings of 70 native tree species were planted, 2000a, b) and insect populations (Brown & Albrecht while the second one (from 2000 to 2003) included the 2001, Liow et al 2001, Wilcock & Neiland 2002), even planting of more than 90 thousand seedlings of 45 species to the point of promoting local extinction (Memmott et in a 45,000 m2 area. This second site is a genetic bank al 2004). Furthermore, insect pollination is critical not that contains the offspring of endangered native forest only for plants and pollinators, but also for nectarivorous, trees, and because of its speciic and innovative design, frugivorous and seed dispersers, which depend on the Floresta da USP is now a mix of different age patches plant reproductive success for survival which contain genetic material from more than three In spite of this major relevance, little has been done thousand trees. An area established between 2000 and in the restitution of pollinator services in ecological 2001, 7-8 years old at the time of the study, was chosen restoration projects (Forup & Memmott 2005, Forup et for the present work. al 2008, Dixon 2009). In Ribeirão Preto and many other The study site was visited bimonthly from October regions of São Paulo State, where formerly forested 2007 to September 2008 to check for lowering plants. landscapes were converted into mosaics of small patches Among all lowering tree species in the study area (a total of forest remnants (ISA, 2001), restoration activities are of ten), the ones with individuals higher than 5 m and especially important. However, there is still a lack of whose canopy could not be reached by entomological studies approaching insect-plant interactions on restored nets were excluded from our sampling, as well as the areas regardless the increase of restoration projects in species with only a few lowering individuals. As a result, Brazil since 1990’s (Kageyama & Gandara 2000). Most of a total of ive tree species, including Acacia polyphylla the studies have primarily focused on the recovery and (Fabaceae), Aegiphila sellowianna (Lamiaceae), Croton development of the vegetation (e.g. Souza & Batista 2004), ϔloribundus, Croton urucurana (Euphorbiaceae) and whereas research into insect fauna is basically inexistent Schinus terebinthifolius (Anacardiaceae) were surveyed, (but see Pais & Varanda 2010). with samplings taking place only when the majority of Considering that habitat fragmentation has the individuals of each species was in full bloom. Flower potential to negatively affect some plant-pollinator visitors were sampled for a total 12-15h period (from interactions (Aizen & Feinsinger 1994a, b, Girão et al 6 am to 6 pm, with extra observation hours on major 2007) and that pollinators have a recognized role in visitation periods) for each tree species, with individual forest maintenance, the concern for them in restoration plants being randomly selected (i.e., by walking along actions is no doubt relevant (Kageyama et al 2003). planting lines and choosing any lowering tree for ca. So the present work was intended to determine the 30 min observation) and not excluded from subsequent diversity of lower-visiting insects in a restored area of rounds of sampling. In case of strong winds, rain or Semideciduous Seasonal Forest, with the main purpose even cloudy sky, the observations were halted and the of providing valuable parameters for comparison of the remaining hours were completed at the corresponding visitors fauna among restored areas, as well as for design hour on subsequent days. and monitoring of future restoration efforts. All insects visiting lowers were captured using entomological nets, killed in ethyl acetate killer chambers and stored for further identiication. Whenever possible, Material and Methods the individuals were identiied to family level and to species in each family based on Carvalho & Ribeiro Field work was developed on a 75 ha restored area of (2000), Carpenter & Marques (2001), Silveira et al (2002), Semideciduos Seasonal Forest located at the Universidade Fernández & Sharkey (2006) and Marinoni et al (2007). 432 Neotrop Entomol 40(4): 431-435 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil Fragoso & Varanda Flower-VisiƟ ng Insects in a Restored Area of Forest Specimens are deposited in the “Setor de Botânica, 110 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosoia, 100 Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, USP”. 90 80 Results and Discussion