Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) assemblages in seashore vegetation (“restinga”) formations along the northern coast of the state of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

The habitat heterogeneity hypothesis predicts that increasing habitat structural complexity will result in greater species richness and diversity. We employed ants as a model organism to investigate the significance of coastal vegetation in sandy soils (“restinga”) in northern Brazil for the conservation of biodiversity. This investigation involved assessing the distribution patterns of ants in restingas in different areas along the coast and different vegetation types. Ants were systematically sampled across six sites in the state of Bahia (Busca Vida, Praia do Forte, Imbassaí, Baixio, Barra do Itariri and Costa Azul) and four distinct restinga habitat types (Forest, Shrub, Beach vegetation habitat, and Humid zone) using pitfall trap, Winkler sampling and entomological umbrella techniques. We assessed whether there are differences in diversity, beta diversity, and ant composition according to the different Restinga vegetation types and sites. A total of 152 ant species were collected, distributed across 43 genera and eight subfamilies. Ant richness per sample and site did not differ according to the type of vegetation. However, we observed a variation in the composition of ants according to the different types of vegetation and sites studied. We observed that regardless of the type of vegetation, the main component responsible for the variation in the composition of ant species is the turnover, that is, the substitution of species between sites. Our study points out the importance of restinga for conservation, with a habitat complexity gradient that increases from beach to inland proportional to the ant diversity, especially in forest habitats.