Efeitos da variação ambiental e relações interespecíficas em assembleias de cupins (Isoptera) e formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em uma floresta amazônica em Porto Velho, Rondônia

Abstract

One of the main questions of ecology is to understand the relationships of living beings with the environment they live in and their interactions. However, the contribution of abiotic and biotic processes in structuring of termites and ants assemblies is not clear. In this study, the relationship of the compositions of termites and ants assemblies were analyzed collected between the years 2013 and 2014 with some environmental variables considered important for survival of both organizations, as well as interspecific relationships between them. Termites and ants were collected simultaneously in the far west of the state of Rondônia, on top of the Madeira River, in the areas of influence of the Santo Antônio hydroelectric Power Plant, in 30 parcels of 250 m distributed every 1 km. Termites were collected by active search in subplots of 2 x 5 m, 45 m distant from each other and examined for 1 hour / collector. Ants of litter were collected in subplots of 1 m2 and placed extractors type mini Winkler, and triaged after 24 hours. We collected a total of 139 species of termites and 286 species of litter ants. A change in the composition of species of termites and ants with variable altitude and amount of potassium in the soil, as well as a change in species composition of termite meeting regarding the composition of ant species was found. Many studies have documented the importance of topographic gradients and soil nutrients have on the ecological niche of both groups which confirms our regression models. The competition for resources and predation among organisms studied is already documented in the literature and is considered one of the main factors governing communities of the same. But in this work the role competition in structuring meetings and termite ants was not clear, however it was found that both assemblies covary in similar space and are governed by the same environmental variables, thus demonstrating the intrinsic relationship between the groups.