Como ilhas florestais em uma matriz campestre modulam a diversidade funcional de formigas?
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Data
2024-07-31
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Universidade Federal de Viçosa
Resumo
As comunidades biológicas são estruturadas por condições ambientais e processos bióticos. Assim, as espécies presentes na região com capacidade de se dispersar ocupam e se estabelecem de acordo com suas capacidades de superar condições do ambiente (filtros ambientais) e interações com outras espécies. Ambientes abertos (ex. campos) e fechados (ex. florestas) apresentam diferenças quanto às condições ambientais e exercem pressões diferentes nos organismos que ali se estabelecem. Ambientes abertos apresentam maior exposição à radiação, maior amplitude térmica e variações de umidade, enquanto ambientes fechados apresentam barreiras contra radiação, maior umidade e menor amplitude térmica. Ambientes fechados apresentam ainda uma maior complexidade no solo, devido à maior deposição de sedimentos. O Campo Rupestre é um ecossistema montano campestre, composto por uma vegetação herbácea e plantas de porte arbustivo. Nestes ambientes ocorrem naturalmente ilhas florestais (Capões de Mata), que possuem plantas de porte arbustivo e arbóreo. Esses dois ecossistemas contrastantes ocorrem lado a lado e sob as mesmas condições ambientais, o que faz destes sistemas ideais para se investigar como diferenças na estrutura da vegetação podem moldar características funcionais das espécies animais associadas. Assim, investigamos como os atributos morfológicos quantitativos contínuos de formigas respondem às variações ambientais existentes entre estes ambientes. Nossas hipóteses foram que i) a intensidade de radiação, pressão de vapor, amplitude térmica e de umidade selecionam formigas com atributos funcionais mais similares em ambientes abertos, e que ii) estes filtros exercem pressão sobre atributos relacionados à exploração, deslocamento e ocupação dos ambientes. Nós mensuramos oito atributos em até seis indivíduos das 60 espécies de formigas coletadas, e avaliamos a distribuição destes atributos nas comunidades dos diferentes ambientes. Identificamos uma menor dispersão funcional em formigas de Campo Rupestre do que em Capão de Mata. Além disso, os resultados indicam uma forte influência de filtragem ambiental. Formigas de Campo Rupestre apresentaram mandíbulas menores, menor distância interocular, olhos mais compridos e pernas mais compridas do que as formigas de Capão de Mata. Nossos resultados embasam nossa hipótese de que a filtragem ambiental exerce forte influência na estruturação de comunidades de formigas de ambientes montanos. Além disso, demonstram como as comunidades de ambientes abertos estão mais suscetíveis à intensidade de radiação, amplitude de temperatura e umidade, apresentando homogeneização dos atributos relacionados à exploração, deslocamento e ocupação dos ambientes. Palavras-chave: Comunidades, Formigas, Atributos funcionais, Filtros ambientais, Dispersão funcional.
Biological communities are structured by environmental conditions and biotic processes. Thus, the species present in the region (regional pool) with the ability to disperse occupy and establish themselves according to their ability to overcome environmental conditions (environmental filters) and interactions with other species. Open environments (e.g., grasslands) and closed environments (e.g., forests) differ in environmental conditions and exert different pressures on the organisms that establish themselves there. Open environments have greater exposure to radiation, greater thermal amplitude, and humidity variations, while closed environments have barriers against radiation, increased humidity, and lower thermal amplitude. Closed environments also present greater soil complexity due to higher sediment deposition. The Campo Rupestre is a montane grassland ecosystem composed of herbaceous vegetation and shrub-sized plants. However, in these environments, there are naturally occurring vegetation islands (forest patches) with shrub and tree-sized plants. These two contrasting ecosystems occur side by side and under the same environmental conditions, making it possible to evaluate how differences in vegetation structure can affect the functional characteristics of species. Thus, we investigated how the continuous quantitative morphological attributes of ants respond to the environmental variations between the occurrence sites. Our hypotheses are that i) the intensity of radiation, vapor pressure, thermal and humidity amplitude select ants with more similar functional attributes in open environments, and that ii) these filters exert pressure on attributes related to exploration, movement, and occupation of environments. We measured eight attributes in up to six individuals of the 60 ant species collected and evaluated the distribution of these attributes in the communities of the different environments. We identified lower functional dispersion in ants from Campo Rupestre than in forest patches. Additionally, the results indicate a strong influence of environmental filtering. Ants from Campo Rupestre had smaller mandibles, shorter interocular distance, longer eyes, and longer legs than ants from forest patches. Our results support our hypothesis that environmental filtering strongly influences the structuring of ant communities in montane environments. Furthermore, they demonstrate how open environment communities are more susceptible to radiation intensity, temperature amplitude, and humidity, presenting a homogenization of attributes related to exploration, movement, and occupation of environments. Key-words: Communities, Ants, Functional traits, Environmental filters, Functional dispersion.
Biological communities are structured by environmental conditions and biotic processes. Thus, the species present in the region (regional pool) with the ability to disperse occupy and establish themselves according to their ability to overcome environmental conditions (environmental filters) and interactions with other species. Open environments (e.g., grasslands) and closed environments (e.g., forests) differ in environmental conditions and exert different pressures on the organisms that establish themselves there. Open environments have greater exposure to radiation, greater thermal amplitude, and humidity variations, while closed environments have barriers against radiation, increased humidity, and lower thermal amplitude. Closed environments also present greater soil complexity due to higher sediment deposition. The Campo Rupestre is a montane grassland ecosystem composed of herbaceous vegetation and shrub-sized plants. However, in these environments, there are naturally occurring vegetation islands (forest patches) with shrub and tree-sized plants. These two contrasting ecosystems occur side by side and under the same environmental conditions, making it possible to evaluate how differences in vegetation structure can affect the functional characteristics of species. Thus, we investigated how the continuous quantitative morphological attributes of ants respond to the environmental variations between the occurrence sites. Our hypotheses are that i) the intensity of radiation, vapor pressure, thermal and humidity amplitude select ants with more similar functional attributes in open environments, and that ii) these filters exert pressure on attributes related to exploration, movement, and occupation of environments. We measured eight attributes in up to six individuals of the 60 ant species collected and evaluated the distribution of these attributes in the communities of the different environments. We identified lower functional dispersion in ants from Campo Rupestre than in forest patches. Additionally, the results indicate a strong influence of environmental filtering. Ants from Campo Rupestre had smaller mandibles, shorter interocular distance, longer eyes, and longer legs than ants from forest patches. Our results support our hypothesis that environmental filtering strongly influences the structuring of ant communities in montane environments. Furthermore, they demonstrate how open environment communities are more susceptible to radiation intensity, temperature amplitude, and humidity, presenting a homogenization of attributes related to exploration, movement, and occupation of environments. Key-words: Communities, Ants, Functional traits, Environmental filters, Functional dispersion.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Formigas, Comunidades de insetos - Aspectos ambientais
Citação
ALVES, Gustavo Rocha. Como ilhas florestais em uma matriz campestre modulam a diversidade funcional de formigas? 2024. 39 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Ecologia) - Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa. 2024.