Biodiversity and the Transformation of a Tropical Agroecosystem: Ants in Coffee Plantations

摘要: Studies of biological diversity have focused mainly on undisturbed ecosystems, effectively neglecting potential losses due to changes in areas already altered by human intervention. In this study we test the hypothesis that measures change significantly with agricultural practices. particular, examine differences ant species correlated vegetational complexity associated modernization Costa Rica's coffee agroecosystem. We patterns within-habitat α and between-habitat β community. Ants were sampled 16 farms falling a gradient structural complexity. Percentage shade created canopy was used as an index As partial indicator food resource base, arthropods using pitfall traps. The (S, H', E) ground-foraging ants decreased reduction diversity. However, no significant recorded for surface bushes. Similarity indices (I) showed high degree similarity among communities monocultures but low discuss several possible mechanisms leading reduced