神农架国家公园蚂蚁的分布格局与生态位研究OA

[Aim]To reveal the niche differentiation among ant species in Shennongjia National Park,Hubei Province,and to provide a scientific basis for the conservation and sustainable utilization of ant diversity.[Methods]The distribution patterns of ant species in the region was studied by the methods of search sur-vey,morphological taxonomy and collecting frequency analysis.Niche breadth was evaluated using the Levins index of species which was calculated using the spaa package in R 4.5.1.[Results]A total of 68 species belonging to 5 subfamilies and 26 genera of Formicidae were recorded from 12 sampling plots.Analysis of distribution patterns showed that four species,Lasius coloratus Santschi,1937,Myrmica kozlovi Ruzsky,1915,Paraparatrechina aseta(Forel,1902)and Aphaenogaster caecilia Viehmeyer,1922,exhibited relatively broad ecological adaptability,whereas 39 species showed narrow ecological adaptabil-ity.The order of species richness in various habitats was as follow:broadleaf forest(64 species)＞con-ifer-broadleaf mixed forest(39 species)＞farmland(15 species)＞grassland(11 species)＞conifer forest(6 species)＞gravel land(5 species).The majority of ant species forage on the ground(totally 59 species)and most species nest under stone(totally 18 species).Paraparatrechina aseta(Forel,1902)had the widest total niche breadth,Formica candida Smith,1878 had the widest habitat niche breadth,Peris-somyrmex bidentatus Zhou & Huang,2006 had the widest foraging niche breadth,and Myrmica kozlovi Ruzsky had the widest nest niche breadth.[Conclusion]Shennongjia National Park harbors rich ant di-versity,and niche differentiation among species is evident.Species-specific evolutionary potential and en-vironmental adaptability may be key determinants of niche differentiation,while spatial isolation,altitudinal gradients,temperature variation,habitat heterogeneity,and other environmental factors may also play im-portant roles.Species with broad niche breadths accounted for only a small proportion of the ant fauna,whereas species with narrow niche breadths were predominant.These narrow-niche species may be more vulnerable within the ecosystem and should therefore be prioritized in biodiversity conservation.The study provide a scientific basis for the protection and utilization of ant resources in Shennongjia National Park.