Comparison of leaf litter and wood dwelling ant communities in southern Guyana

Comparison of Leaf Litter and Wood Dwelling Ant Communities in Southern Guyana

Joseph Bradley Wright and John S. LaPolla: Towson University Department of Biological Sciences

Leaf litter sampling for ants has become a popular way to include an important invertebrate group to biodiversity surveys. However, most studies do not distinguish between leaf and wood litter. We set out to compare and contrast ant community composition of leaf and wood litter in the rainforest of southern Guyana to determine if distinct community level differences exist and to provide a comprehensive species list for the area. Guyana is among only a few countries found in the Neotropics where much of its original habitat cover remains relatively intact. Upwards of 70% of Guyana’s habitats remain either pristine or marginally impacted by human activities, including what is considered to be the largest tract of contiguous primary rainforest in the world. Despite the excellent condition and vastness of Guyana’s rainforest, the flora and fauna within this region remain poorly known. The urgency to document the biodiversity of Guyana has been accentuated given that timber and mining companies have taken a great interest in extracting resources from the region’s rainforests. Consequently, an understanding of diversity patterns may help inform conservation programs. Therefore, it has become extremely important to survey this area for potentially endemic or threatened species before large blocks of rainforest are destroyed. We hypothesize that a distinct ant fauna will exist between the two habitat types, which might have implications for ant litter sampling methods and techniques.