Ant Species Diversity and Community Composition in Three Different Habitats: Mixed Deciduous Forest, Teak Plantation and Fruit Orchard

Abstract

The species diversity of ants in three different land use types: a mixed deciduous forest, and a derived commercial teak plantation and a durian orchard, were studied to determine and compare the ant species diversity in these areas. Five sampling methods: handling capture over constant time, sugar-protein bait trap, pitfall trap, leaf litter sifting and soil sifting, were conducted each month from September 2007 to September 2008, inclusive. The species richness of ants in the area was 62 identified species and 67 morphospecies, belonging to 49 genera in nine subfamilies. The Shannon-Wiener’s species diversity index indicated that the diversity was the highest in the mixed deciduous forest (2.387), followed by the durian orchard (1.997) and lastly the teak plantation (1.463). The β-diversity, using Sorensen’s similarity coefficient to determine the similarity in community composition, was highest between the forest and the teak plantation at 65.5%, and then between the teak plantation and the durian orchard at 45.5%, and between the forest and the durian orchard at 39.7%, indicating that both ant species diversity and community composition were distinctly varied in these three sites which may relate to their different land use types. Therefore, the information from this preliminary study suggests that, subject to confirmation and further clarification, ant species diversity may be used to assist the conservation and management planning of agro-forestry ecosystems.