Riqueza funcional de formigas sob restauração ativa no Cerrado

Abstract

The Cerrado is a biome that is currently under strong cure, and to monitor the restoration of these areas, the use of ants is very efficient because they are bioindicators of environmental quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the species richness, functional richness, and functional groups of ants in a chronosequence of areas with two distinct ages (2 and 5 years) after active restoration actions by planting seedlings compared to the reference (hair areas minus 20.5 years without disturbances) of the Cerrado. We tested the hypotheses that there would be a progressive increase in species richness and functional richness and in functional groups in which the reference area will present higher numbers of these indicators, in addition to variation in the composition of ants between areas. In each of the three treatments of the chronosequence (two replicates per treatment), pitfall traps were placed, divided into two parallel transects at 2 meters and spaced 15 meters apart, with 4 traps each in all. 1st order Jackknife was used to verify the ant richness estimate and for the measure of functional richness, the total length of the branches of the dendrograms were analyzed. Thus, when we analyzed 1st order Jackknife, we found that the estimated species richness for the reference area was 81.75, followed by 72.2 in the initial area and 61.25 in the average area. For functional richness, the same numerical pattern occurred, with the positive reference showing 10, followed by the initial age group with 7 and the average age group with 8. We detected that the functional richness was related to the species richness (R2=08488). As for the functional groups, in the initial area 8 functional groups were obtained, in the average area 10 functional groups and a positive reference 14 functional groups. Thus, it is possible to verify that there is a recovery of functional groups along the chronosequence, however, the numerical values of species richness and functional richness were more expressive in the initial area than in the average. In this way, the restoration of areas in a chronosequence helps in the maintenance and recovery of biodiversity