Efeito do ambiente na composição de espécies de térmitas (Isoptera) e efeito da suficiência amostral em uma floresta primária de terra-firme na Amazônia central

Abstract

Termites communities studies analyzing species richness and composition in environmental gradient in natural systems in the Amazon region are scarce, and termites sampling protocols usually utilized are mostly developed to increase the number of species and groups, being not idealized to the estimation of the termites relationships with the environment, mainly in large spatial scale. The effects of environmental gradients over termite’s species richness and composition were analyzed in 2,500 ha of upland primary forest. Termites were sampled in 5 subparcels of 5 m X 2 m that were installed in each one of the 30 amostral units (parcels), separated 1 km from each other. Termites were related to the amount of phosphorus and clay in the soil. Therefore, the analysis of the termite community without reference to the different tropics groups may be reflecting the characteristics of only part of the species. Many studies have shown relationship of the termite community with the number of palm trees, but our regression model shows that this relation is associated with changing in the soil components. The phosphorus dissolved in the soil was the variable that showed the strongest relation with the changing of species in the environment, but this parameter is not usually measured. In future studies, termites belonging to different tropics level must be analyzed, and the amostral effort must be established having as basis the previously determined objectives for each investigation. To show the species richness and composition relationship with the environmental variables, the studies must use less effort per transectthan those proposed in protocols usually utilized, and increase the number of amostral units.