Ant Diversity Studies one per year

The number of contemporary publications that focus on ant communities and ant biodiversity shows that these topics continue to be strong areas of interest. This page is a place to begin to gather a list of publications, however incomplete, published about these topics.

• Ant Diversity Studies 2011

Publications

1996

• Chung A.Y.C., Mohamed M. (1996) A Comparative Study of the Ant Fauna in a Primary and Secondary Forest in Sabah, Malaysia. In: Edwards D.S., Booth W.E., Choy S.C. (eds) Tropical Rainforest Research — Current Issues. Monographiae Biologicae, vol 74. Springer, Dordrecht. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-1685-2_36

Abstract The diversity and ecology of ants in a primary and secondary selectively logged forest was compared over a 12 month period at Danum Valley, Sabah, Malaysia. Species richness and diversity were higher in the primary forest. A total of 192 species from seven subfamilies were recorded. The Myrmicinae was the most common subfamily in species and abundance, for both habitats. Rainfall had some negative effects on subterranean fauna in primary and secondary forest while high temperature diminished the number of arboreal species collected in the primary forest.

1998

• Musthak Ali, T. M. and K. N. Ganeshaiah. 1998. Mapping diversity of ants and root grubs. Current Science. 75(3):201-204.

2006

• Ghosh, S. N., S. Sheela, B. G. Kundu, S. Roy Chowdhury, and R. N. Tiwari. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Arunachal Pradesh, State Fauna Series, 13(Part 2):369-398. Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.

2006

• Vineesh, P. J., K. T. Sabu, and K. A. Karmaly. 2007. Community structure and functional group classification of litter ants in the montane evergreen and deciduous forest of Wayanad region of Western Gats, southern India. Oriental Insects. 41(1):427-442. doi:10.1080/00305316.2007.10417526

Abstract Community structure of litter ants based on feeding guilds and the more recent functional group classification, and also the role of abiotic factors in determining the community structure have been analyzed following' Ants of Leaf Litter' protocol in a montane evergreen (shola) and deciduous forests in the Wayanad region of Western Ghats, southern India. Distinct variations in the guild structure of litter ant communities in shola and deciduous forests have been recorded. Predators dominated deciduous and omnivores in the shola forests. Cryptic species was the dominant functional guild in both litter stands, although hot-climate specialists have not been recorded from the shola forests. Rank-abundance plots attributed the difference in diversity between the forests to the dominance of Tapinoma sp. and [[Myrmicaria brunnea]] in deciduous forest. Physical characteristics of the habitat critically influenced ant abundance in both forest types. Functional group model classification was found to be a better model for the classification of litter ants than the conventional feeding-guild categorization as it enabled a meaningful comparison in relation to physical factors.

2009

• Groc, S., J. Orivel, A. Dejean, J. Martin, M. Etienne, B. Corbara, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2009. Baseline study of the leaf-litter ant fauna in a French Guianese forest. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 2(3):183-193. doi:10.1111/j.1752-4598.2009.00060.x

Abstract 1. Leaf-litter ants represent a major component of biodiversity and are excellent bioindicators reflecting the health of terrestrial ecosystems. This study, conducted in an unspoiled forest near the Nouragues Research Station, represents the first inventory of leaf-litter ant diversity conducted in French Guiana, and so can be considered as the baseline dataset for ants in this country. 2. Ants were extracted from the leaf-litter using the Ants of the Leaf Litter Protocol, along an altitudinal gradient at four forest sites, including an inselberg. 3. A total of 196 ant species representing 46 genera distributed over eight subfamilies were collected. Four distinct communities spread over a gradient of diversity were thus identified: the liana forest was the most species-rich (140 species) followed by the forested plateau (102 species), the transition forest (87 species) and the forest at the top of the inselberg (71 species). 4. The discovery of species new to science plus several species recorded for the first time in French Guiana, coupled with the particular context of this area, suggests that the Nouragues Research Station might represent a centre of endemism. Once completed, this leaf-litter ant dataset will contribute greatly to the knowledge of ant biodiversity in French Guiana, and has the potential to progressively become an indispensable tool for country-wide conservation planning programmes.

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