Altitudinal distribution of epigeous ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along the slopes of mountain ranges adjacent to the Cauca River valley, Colombia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/wfnx9b94Keywords:
ant diversity; , environmental filtration;, distribution patterns;, strategic ecosystems;, tropical rainforestAbstract
Introduction: Epigeous ants are widely used as bioindicators to test ecological and biogeographic hypotheses. In tropical regions, elevation is a key driver of biodiversity patterns due to the rapid ecosystem shifts with increasing altitude. Objective: To examine the distribution and turnover of epigeous ants along an altitudinal gradient (1 000-2 800 m asl) on the opposite slopes of the Western and Central Andean cordilleras in the tropical belt of Colombia, South America. Methods: Intensive field sampling of ants was conducted, and Zeta diversity was used as an analytical metric to assess spatial diversity components within a multi-site partitioning framework, given its sensitivity to richness differences among habitat types. Results: A total of 204 ant species were recorded: 128 on the Western Cordillera and 131 on the Central Cordillera. Myrmicinae was the most diverse subfamily, represented across all elevational bands. The mid elevation band (1 500 m asl) exhibited the highest diversity in both cordilleras, while the 2 800 m asl band showed the lowest. The 1 500 m band on the Central Cordillera harbored 71 species, in contrast, the 2 800 m band on the Western Cordillera had only two species. Ant community composition on opposite flanks of the Western and Central Cordilleras showed a high turnover, with only three species occurring across all five elevational bands in both ranges. The ant communities were dominated by rare species or those with low capture frequencies, likely reflecting the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors specific to each elevational life zone. Conclusions: These findings confirm that each altitudinal gradient is home to specific ant communities that respond to the environmental, historical, and biogeographical conditions of each mountain range. Likewise, it is confirmed that environmental and spatial factors determine the composition of ants and the replacement rate of the community.
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