Ants and Restingas: the Relationship Between the Geometric Model, Vegetation Cover, and Myrmecofauna in a Dune Habitat in Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

In this study, we propose to investigate whether the geometric model and vegetation cover of restinga remnants influences the diversity of ants on the Northern Coast of Bahia. Using Winkler extractors and baits of honey and sardines, the ants were collected from five restinga remnants. Correlations were made between the percentage of soil with vegetation cover, circularity and fractal dimension index and the diversity and richness of ants. Lastly, Kendall correlations and Theil-Kendall regression were performed. The diversity index of ants was not associated with the percentage of soil with vegetation cover. The diversity and richness of terrestrial ants were negatively influenced by the circularity index and positively by the fractal dimension index. The circularity index was inversely proportional, while the fractal dimension index was equivalent to the ant diversity index. The similarity dendrogram showed that areas with less fragmentation had similar myrmecofauna composition. The vegetation cover of the soil does not influence the diversity of ants, but the fragmentation of the areas and the geometric model measured by the fractal dimension index have an influence, being possible that the type of soil, in general, prevents the nesting of a larger volume of species and mask the possibility of finding a closer relationship between these variables.