Fire regime and spatial distributions of leaf litter- and ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) across the tapia woodland of Madagascar.

ABSTRACT: The Central Highland of Madagascar has a native vegetation formation known as tapia woodland that is able to withstand regular fires. However, the ant fauna of this habitat remains poorly understood. This study compares the distribution of ant species in recently burned (<1 yr since fire) and unburned (>4 years since fire) tapia vegetation, which is dominated by the tapia tree Uapaca bojeri (Phyllanthaceae). Three quantitative inventory methods-mini-Winkler, monolith, and pitfall traps-were employed along a 200-m transect with 20 plots per site. In total, 155 ant species were collected, comprising 146 native species (95%) and 8 introduced species (5%). A statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in species richness between the burned and unburned plots for each method. Diver

SUBMITTER: Ravelomanana A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12001234 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature