Studying the ecology of ants can be a powerful tool for conservation, While the effect of logging is mainly investigated by the comparison of species richness and composition, the impact on individual species are ofte...Studying the ecology of ants can be a powerful tool for conservation, While the effect of logging is mainly investigated by the comparison of species richness and composition, the impact on individual species are often neglected. This study investigated the effect of selective logging on the nest density, foraging range and colony size on the ground-dwelling ant Aphaenogaster swammerdami in Kirindy forest--Madagascar. This ant is a common ground-dwelling species in Kirindy, a western dry deciduous forest of Madagascar. Sampling was done in two sites of the forest： One part that was selectively lodged and another that have not been logged. Here we show that selective logging led to a decrease in colony size and density, while the foraging range seemed to be unaffected. Higher desiccation stress and lower food availability in the logged forest are most likely to be responsible for these results.展开更多
文摘Studying the ecology of ants can be a powerful tool for conservation, While the effect of logging is mainly investigated by the comparison of species richness and composition, the impact on individual species are often neglected. This study investigated the effect of selective logging on the nest density, foraging range and colony size on the ground-dwelling ant Aphaenogaster swammerdami in Kirindy forest--Madagascar. This ant is a common ground-dwelling species in Kirindy, a western dry deciduous forest of Madagascar. Sampling was done in two sites of the forest： One part that was selectively lodged and another that have not been logged. Here we show that selective logging led to a decrease in colony size and density, while the foraging range seemed to be unaffected. Higher desiccation stress and lower food availability in the logged forest are most likely to be responsible for these results.
