EFFECT OF FIRE ON TEAK BEEHOLE BORER AND ANT DIVERSITY IN YOUNG TEAK PLANTATION

Abstract

Studies on the effect of fire on teak beehole borer and ant diversity were carried out in four private teak plantations in Lampang and Phayao provinces during 1999-2000. Each plantation was treated as a block with half of each plantation being burnt and the other half being unburned. After the burning of the plots, number of individual were counted. Number of species of ants were classified and the number of teak attacked by teak beehole borer were also recorded. The collection of data was proceeded for one year after burning. No significant difference was found between the burnt and unburned plots in the number of species and the a-values of ants. However, number of ant in the burnt plots was significantly greater than those in the unburned plots. It seems to be some degrees of habitat fidelity evident in the ant communities as of the 63 species found in the teak plantations four species seemed to be restricted to burnt areas, other four restricted to unburned areas, with the remainder found in both unburned and burnt areas. Fire treatment showed the obvious effect to teak beehole borer in March to July significantly, which teak beehole borer was found in fewer outbreaks in unburned compared to those burnt. The relationship between ant, fire and teak beehole borer were detected in March to middle of April that the burnt plots found less ant and more teak beehole borer compared to unburned plots. Other natural enemies and environmental factors were expected to pay the major role in the teak beehole borer outbreak after middle of April.