Using Ant Community Data for Monitoring Tropical Forest Restoration in the Seasonal Atlantic Forest in Brazil

Abstract

Background and Research Aims: Monitoring is essential for assessing the success of ecological restoration efforts. Ants, with their vast diversity and functional roles, serve as a significant group for such analyses. This study focused on evaluating ant communities to identify potential arboreal species that could serve as indicators of the forest restoration process. Methods: The study was carried out in restoration areas within the Seasonal Semideciduous Forest, located in two landscapes within the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. We examined forest restoration plantations at three different developmental stages—early, middle, and late—alongside a native reference forest. Key parameters such as canopy cover and density of trees and saplings were measured. Ants were actively sampled throughout different seasons. We assessed ant community compositions across restoration gradients and investigated their association with vegetation structure. We also identified ant species that could serve as restoration indicators. Results: We identified a total of 60 species and 19 morphospecies. However, no significant difference in species richness was observed among the areas. Ant communities in restoration areas exhibited more similarity to each other than to those in native forests. Therefore, even in the oldest restored sections, ant communities have not yet converged with those of the reference ecosystem. Although we identified some indicator species within certain areas, none of these were arboreal. Conclusion: The composition of the ant community is more valuable than its species richness for monitoring tropical forest restoration. The historical context of restoration areas and the age of restoration efforts may influence the results. Implications for conservation: Early stages of tropical forest restoration do not recover the biodiversity and composition of arboreal ants found in reference forests. Additional studies are needed to better understand changes in the ant communities over time, providing information to improve monitoring, management and the conservation value.