The Relationship of Some Physical Factors on the Occurrence of Ants in Huay Khayeng Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

The relationship of the occurrence of ants to some physical factors was studied in Huay Khayeng Thong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi province.  Ants were collected by four methods: 1) plant litter sifting; 2) honey bait trapping; 3) hand collecting; and 4) from soil sampling. Data on four physical factors were collected: 1) soil moisture; 2) soil temperature; 3) litter moisture; and 4) biomass. A line transect  90 m long was set up in each of four forest types: 1) dry evergreen forest; 2) lower mixed deciduous forest; 3) dry upper mixed deciduous forest; and 4) disturbed mixed deciduous forest. The results showed that mean soil moisture and mean litter moisture in the wet and dry season were significantly different in the four forest types. Soil moisture and litter moisture were correlated in the lower mixed deciduous forest. Sixty-one species were specific to forest type, with the dry evergreen forest having the highest number of species (25) and dry upper mixed deciduous forest having the lowest (3).

Keywords: relationship, ants, physical factors, Kanchanaburi province