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Selective logging does not alter termite response to soil gradients in Amazonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 May 2021

Renato Almeida de Azevedo Open the ORCID record for Renato Almeida de Azevedo [Opens in a new window] ,
Quézia Cristina Lima Santos ,
Isadora Essig Fluck ,
Domingos J. Rodrigues Open the ORCID record for Domingos J. Rodrigues [Opens in a new window] ,
Leandro D. Battirola  and
Cristian de Sales Dambros Open the ORCID record for Cristian de Sales Dambros [Opens in a new window]
Renato Almeida de Azevedo*
Affiliation:
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - INPA, Coordenação de Biodiversidade - COBIO, Av. André Araújo, 2936, Petrópolis, Manaus, AM, Brazil
Quézia Cristina Lima Santos
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade (PPGECB), Instituto de Biociência, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Isadora Essig Fluck
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
Domingos J. Rodrigues
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade (PPGECB), Instituto de Biociência, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Leandro D. Battirola
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Universitário de Sinop, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais (PPGCAM), Instituto de Ciências Naturais, Humanas e Sociais, Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Cristian de Sales Dambros
Affiliation:
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Departamento de Ecologia e Evolução, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence:*Renato Almeida de Azevedo, Email: azevedo.inpa@gmail.com
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Abstract

Selective logging has been widely employed as a management practice in tropical forests due to its reduced impact on biodiversity. However, by altering microclimatic conditions, logging could affect soil fauna responsible for nutrient cycling and the long-term dynamic of the forest. We investigated how selective logging affected termite species richness, composition, and the distribution of species in trophic groups, as well as the natural response of termites to gradients of soil conditions. Termites and edaphic variables were sampled in 32 permanent plots in southern Amazonia. Plots were subject to selective logging for 10–31 years before termite sampling. Time post-management was associated with changes in termite species composition, and wood-feeding termites were more abundant in recently logged areas. Nevertheless, most of the variation in termite species richness and composition can be attributed to the natural variation in soil clay content. Moreover, soil-dweller species, a vulnerable group strongly linked to soil decomposition, were present in all plots. These results suggest that the impact of selective logging on termite communities might be milder compared with other types of disturbance. It is likely that the decomposition process performed by termites, and consequently long-term ecosystem functioning, is preserved under selective logging.

Keywords

Amazonian ForestDisturbanceTermite compositionTrophic groupSoil Fauna
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 43 - 49
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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