COMPARISON OF SPECIES DIVERSITY OF ANTS IN PLANT COMMUNITIES AT KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK

Abstract

Studies on species diversity of ants in plant communities of Khao Yai National Park were carried out from November 2000 to October 2001. The 4 different plant communities, including mixed deciduous forest, tropical rain forest, dry evergreen forest, and hill evergreen forest were selected. One hundred sampling plots of 30 x 30 cm² were placed in each plant community. The specimens were collected every other month. The total ants from 4 different plant communities were identified. There were 9 subfamilies 59 genera and 224 species of ants. It was found that species diversity of ants in mixed deciduous forest was the highest and the lowest in hill evergreen forest. The highest density of ants was in dry evergreen forest and the lowest was in hill evergreen forest. The highest diversity index of ants was in tropical rain forest and the lowest was in hill evergreen forest. The highest evenness index of ants was in tropical rain forest and the lowest was also in the hill evergreen forest. The highest species diversity and diversity index of ants in each plant community were also found in rainy season. The density of ants were higher in rainy season than in dry season, except in dry evergreen forest. The evenness of ants were higher in dry season than in wet season, except in hill evergreen forest. Similarity index of ants was also studied. It was found that plant community in dry evergreen forest was the most similar to the tropical rain forest while mixed deciduous forest was less similar to bill evergreen forest.