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The restoration of termite diversity in different reforestated forests

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Abstract

In this study we compare the richness, abundance and guild composition between two different reforestations in the meridional part of the Amazon. We test the hypothesis that the termite community is affected by the identity of the tree species used in reforestation. More precisely, we test whether the reforestation of a native species of fig (Ficus sp) is more efficient in restoring biodiversity than reforestation of exotic teak trees (Tectona grandis). We sampled the termite community in these reforested areas and three other different “control” areas: active pastures, abandoned pastures (secondary forests) and mature pristine forest. We found that the distance of reforestation from the nearest primary forest had no effect on termite biodiversity, at the scale studied. But, as expected, richness and the abundance were higher in the mature forest, intermediate in reforestation areas, and lower in secondary forest and pastures. In fact, the only studied habitat with biodiversity comparable to the mature forest was the fig plantations. The guild composition in reforested areas was also similar to that of the mature forest. The diversity and abundance of humivorous termites was particularly pronounced in the reforestation areas compared with pasture or secondary forests. The humivorous guild provides important functional services, since its action makes nitrogen and other nutrients available to the plants along ecological succession. Our results show that reforestation is a valuable strategy in restoring termite diversity and recovering the ecosystem services they provide.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Victor Landeiro and Jerry M Penha for their helpful comments in early versions of this manuscript. We thank São Nicolau farm administrators and staff and the Carbon sink project (Pegeout propriety, managed by ONF—Office National des Fôrets) for their logistical and financial support. RMP and TJI are grateful to CAPES—Coordenação de aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (TJI proccess BEX 2548/14-3 and 479243/2012-3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade (PPGECB), Instituto de Biociências (IB), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso – Cuiabá – Mato Grosso (UFMT), Avenida Fernando Correa/SN, Cuiabá, MT, 78068-900, Brazil

    Reniel Chaves de Paula, Roberto de Moraes Lima Silveira & Thiago Junqueira Izzo

  2. Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Maurício Martins da Rocha

  3. Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7TJ, UK

    Thiago Junqueira Izzo

Authors
  1. Reniel Chaves de Paula
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  2. Roberto de Moraes Lima Silveira
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  3. Maurício Martins da Rocha
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  4. Thiago Junqueira Izzo
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Correspondence to Thiago Junqueira Izzo.

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de Paula, R.C., de Moraes Lima Silveira, R., da Rocha, M.M. et al. The restoration of termite diversity in different reforestated forests. Agroforest Syst 90, 395–404 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-015-9862-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-015-9862-2

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