کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
9446010 1304642 2005 11 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Methods for conservation outside of formal reserve systems: The case of ants in the seasonally dry tropics of Veracruz, Mexico
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری علوم کشاورزی و بیولوژیک بوم شناسی، تکامل، رفتار و سامانه شناسی
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Methods for conservation outside of formal reserve systems: The case of ants in the seasonally dry tropics of Veracruz, Mexico
چکیده انگلیسی
Like most ecosystems of the world, tropical dry forests of the central coast of the Gulf of Mexico are inadequately preserved. Given that reserve expansion is unlikely, it is imperative that the conservation capacity of the matrix surrounding reserves is enhanced. Here, we examine the habitat value of isolated pasture trees and patches of secondary regrowth in terms of their terrestrial and arboreal ant assemblages in both a wet and dry season. These simplified wooded systems increase species densities within the agricultural matrix and provide habitat for some forest ant species. Estimated species richness of arboreal ants was particularly low on isolated trees, highlighting an important limitation. This was not the case for terrestrial ants, which were particularly species rich under isolated trees. We also found that the inter-site variations in species densities and similarity to the forest ant assemblage for terrestrial and arboreal strata were not correlated, suggesting that responses to restoration may not be as uniform as often thought. This has important implications for the use of indicator taxa in suggesting the response of other taxa. In terms of species composition, neither secondary regrowth nor isolated trees were appropriate replacements for forest fragments, even though the studied forest fragments were small (13-32 ha). The ant assemblages did not exhibit a seasonal change in composition. However, season influenced the contrast between habitats, with isolated trees being more distinct from pasture, and regrowth more closely resembling forests, during the wet season. Microclimatic variables indicate that the forests were least affected by the tropical dry season, and this may contribute to their characteristic fauna. We conclude that even small forest patches make a unique contribution to landscape conservation and that, where reserves are limited, conscientious management of the landscape matrix may provide some species with sufficient new habitat to survive outside of reserve systems. These conclusions are influenced by both season and strata studied.
ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Biological Conservation - Volume 126, Issue 3, December 2005, Pages 328-338
نویسندگان
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