Navegando por Assunto "Ninhos de saúva"

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Influências dos ninhos de saúva (Formicidae: Attini) na nutrição, crescimento e proteção da vegetação contra o fogo, em uma floresta de transição Amazônia-Cerrado
(Universidade Federal do Pará, 2008) CARVALHO, Karine Santana; STERNBERG, Leonel; http://lattes.cnpq.br/2673570808369028; MOUTINHO, Paulo Roberto de Souza; http://lattes.cnpq.br/7277077476036269
The leaf-cutting ant nests are important natural disturbances which may create mosaics of certain types of vegetation and affect the structure and composition of Neotropical ecosystems. So, this study evaluated the effects of leaf-cutting ant nests (Atta spp.) on dynamic of vegetation growth in a Amazon-Cerrado transitional forest submitted to subsequent fire events, in south Amazon basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Specifically, it was evaluated the effects of the nests on: (1) vegetation growth and nutrition; (2) vegetation protection against fire and (3) the forest regeneration pos-fire. The nests and associated vegetation (within a 10-meter radius of the nests) established in 150-hectare areas of transitional forest were mapped and monitored in order to determine such effects. These areas subdivided in 50-ha parts with different treatments: triannual fires, annual fires and fire protection (control) take part in the project “Savannization” coordinated by Amazon Environmental Research Institute – IPAM. The experiments about the effects of the nests on vegetation growth and nutrition indicated that plants next the nests have a facilitated nutrient absorption and therefore they present a higher foliar concentration of Phosphorus. Consequently, it was registered a higher growth in diameter of stem to these plants when compared to those far from the nests. The nests worked as active firebreaks (due to accumulation of land on mound resulting from leaf-cutting ants diggings) reducing the total burned area around them, mainly in areas with high number of nests and protecting the surrounding vegetation from the mortality by fire. In opposition to these benefits, it was verified higher herbivory of seedlings and the removal of seeds by leaf-cutting ants in areas with high density of active colonies, a result which compromise the early stages of pos-fire forest succession. This study shows the importance of leaf-cut ants in the redistribution and nutrient recycling and demonstrates, for the first time, the vegetation protection against fire, by their nests. On the other hand, it also shows that anthropic disturbances, such as fire, increase the leaf-cut ant population. This can stop the pos-fire forest regeneration. Considering this study, it can predict that natural environments may have the vegetation growth accelerated due to the presence of leaf-cut ant nests, but in disturbed environments the action of leaf-cut ants may be the main threat to the original vegetation regeneration. So, it can conclude that the effects (beneficial or harmful) of the leaf-cut ants depend on the level of disturbance or maturity of biome in which their nests are established.