Landscape configuration modulates the presence of leaf-cutting ants in eucalypt plantations.

ABSTRACT: Pest responses to landscape complexity show variable patterns globally, primarily related to species traits and specific managed habitats. Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs) are native insects and important pests of plantation forests in South America. We evaluated the responses of LCA nests in young Eucalyptus plantations to different spatial contexts: land uses, interfaces (adjacent land use pairs), agroecosystems, and landscapes. We selected 30 sites in the littoral region of Argentina representing three types of land uses neighboring Eucalyptus plantations: adult eucalypt plantations, citrus plantations, and semi-natural habitats. At each site, we quantified and identified LCA nests and characterized landscape composition and configuration in circles of 250 m radius. LCA nest abundance and prese

SUBMITTER: Cavigliasso P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10423229 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature