Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: BIANCA FERREIRA DA SILVA LAVISKI

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : BIANCA FERREIRA DA SILVA LAVISKI
DATE: 15/12/2022
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: on-line
TITLE:

Spatial analysis of seed dispersal by ants in areas under restoration in the Atlantic Forest

KEY WORDS:

Ant-fruit interactions; Ecological restoration; Community ecology

PAGES: 49
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Zoologia
SUBÁREA: Zoologia Aplicada
SUMMARY:

The work was carried out at the Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve (REGUA), in Cachoeiras de
Macacu, RJ, in reforested areas and reference areas for evaluating the secondary dispersal
process carried out by ants. The objective was to evaluate how the ecosystem service of seed
dispersal performed by ants is recovering in reforested areas compared to native areas. The first
two chapters analyzed myrmecofauna interacting with natural fruits (chapter 1) and artificial
fruits (chapter 2) and the biotic and structural factors influencing these interactions. The third
chapter will analyze the effect of Ectatomma permagnum nests on seedling richness and
abundance, as well as the physical and chemical attributes of the soil of these nests. Interactions
were observed in six areas in a total of 4 transects of 200 m each. A total of 110 interactions
were found between 28 plant species and 23 ant species, of which 52 interactions occurred in
reforested areas over one year of observation. With artificial fruits, 251 interactions were
observed with 23 ant species and a total of 103 removals. Networks of reforested and native
areas showed similar patterns. Solenopsis invicta was a central species in interactions with
natural fruits, indicating a strong dominance of the species and that the areas are still recovering,
with a low number of diaspore removals by ants and few interactions with high quality disperser
species. In artificial fruits, there was no difference in the richness and removal of fruits in
reforested and native areas and absence of influence of structural factors. Species composition
was different between reforested and native areas. The indicator species of the native habitat
was Wasmannia auropunctata and of the reforested habitat were Pheidole subarmata and Atta
sexdens. Interactions may be limited by the recovering community and the strong dominance
of some species, as in natural fruits. However, the absence of differences between reforested
and native habitats in the characteristics studied in the two chapters indicates that the ecological
process is carried out at the same level in both and is in the process of recovery.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - ALEXANDER VICENTE CHRISTIANINI - UFSCAR
Presidente - 387200 - FRANCISCO GERSON ARAUJO
Interno - 1356331 - JARBAS MARCAL DE QUEIROZ
Externo ao Programa - 2237271 - JERONIMO BOELSUMS BARRETO SANSEVERO - null