TROPHIC GUILDS OF ANT AS BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN AREAS OF FOREST RECONSTRUCTION IN THE AMAZON Elke Hellem Fernandes Matias, Kivia Leticia dos Santos Reis, Clarissa Mendes Knoechelmann, Felipe Fernando da Silva Siqueira

Abstract

This study examined the quality of forest restoration areas with a predominance of Bertholletia excelsa, using the ant community as an evaluation model. Highlighting the use of ants and trophic guilds as bioindicators of the environmental conditions of these environments. A total of 4,643 ants were sampled, distributed in 7 subfamilies. The ants were classified into 8 trophic guilds. The richness and abundance of trophic guilds were influenced by the age of abandonment of the areas, assuming that the landscape of the restoration areas presents a homogeneous vegetation scenario, which results in a low diversity of food resources, favoring the occurrence of generalist guilds. Thus, our results indicate that the age of abandonment of the areas (two and one year) was not sufficient to achieve environmental equilibrium, since the ideal time addressed in studies is 10 to 50 years for the areas to approach environmental equilibrium in tropical rainforests. Finally, the use of trophic guilds together with biological aspects of ants and habitat structure allows us to identify patterns of maintenance and functioning of these communities in relation to forest succession, disregarding biogeographic limits and possible dispersal barriers if we only consider the species.