The effect of swidden agriculture on ant communities in Madagascar
The effect of swidden agriculture on ant communities in Madagascar
复制标题
轮耕农业对马达加斯加蚂蚁群落的影响
DOI：
10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109400
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发表时间：
2022
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Cameron, Alison
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Finch, Elizabeth A.;Rajoelison, Eric T.;Hamer, Matthew T.;Caruso, Tancredi;Farnsworth, Keith D.;Fisher, Brian L.;Cameron, Alison
刀耕火种农业是热带地区普遍存在的一种自给农业方法，随着人口的增长，这种方法正在加强。这项研究是第一个调查的影响，从砍伐后的土地退化蚂蚁物种（本地和引进）在整个退化梯度，从森林，树木休耕，灌木休耕，用尽的土地。封闭树冠森林中的蚂蚁群落具有较高的物种多样性，在分类学上是不同的，但随着土地日益退化，检测到整体和本地物种丰富度显著减少，整体群落组成也发生了变化。虽然本地物种减少整个退化梯度，引进物种增加。在群落组成变化上，本地种与外来种之间存在着显著的相关性，这种相关性与环境因子无关。然而，共现分析表明，几乎没有证据表明引进的物种对本地物种的群落产生了重大影响。这表明这些模式都是由栖息地退化单独驱动的。退化休耕栖息地被发现窝藏独特的和特有的物种，包括22.4%的物种在封闭的树冠森林。总之，我们的研究结果突出了热带生态系统中刀耕火种系统进一步传播和加剧的潜在有害影响。保护现有的封闭冠层森林是至关重要的，但我们也强调，退化的砍伐栖息地的动物群可能仍然是重要的热带农业景观的生物多样性保护。
Swidden agriculture is a widespread subsistence farming method in the tropics, which is being intensified as human populations grow. This study is the first to investigate the impacts of land degradation from swidden upon ant species (both native and introduced) across the full degradation gradient, from forest, to tree fallows, to shrub fallows, to exhausted land. Ant communities in closed canopy forests had higher species diversity and were taxonomically distinct, but as land became increasingly degraded, a significant reduction in overall and native species richness was detected, as were changes in overall community composition. Whilst native species decreased across the degradation gradient, introduced species increased. There was also a significant correlation in community compositional changes between native and introduced species which was independent from environmental factors. Co-occurrence analysis, however, suggested there was little evidence that introduced species were significantly impacting the communities of native species. This suggests these patterns are both separately driven by habitat degradation. Degraded fallow habitats were found to harbour unique and endemic species, including 22.4% of the species found in closed canopy forest. Together, our results highlight the potentially detrimental effects of further spread and increased intensification of swidden systems in tropical ecosystems. The conservation of existing closed canopy forests is of utmost importance but we also highlight that the fauna of degraded swidden habitats could still be important for biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes across the tropics.