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Summary: Changes in Ant Species Richness and Composition During Plant
Secondary Succession in Puerto Rico
K. OSORIO-PÉREZ
1, 2
, M. F. BARBERENA-ARIAS
2
AND T. M. AIDE
2
1
Brooklyn Botanic Garden. 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11225
2
University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, PO BOX 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3360
mf_barberena@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT.--In general, faunal diversity increases with forest age; therefore, we predict that ant species
richness in secondary forests will increase during succession and species composition will vary among
different stages of succession. To test this hypothesis we describe the ant communities from five chrono-
sequences comprised of forests that varied in the time lapsed since abandonment (i.e. 0-5 yr, 25-35 yr, and
>60 yr). In each site, ants were sampled using baited traps, pitfall traps, and litter sampling. Ants were
identified to species and species abundance per sample was recorded. A total of 21 ant species were collected.
In all chronosequences, the 25-35 yr secondary forests had the highest ant richness. During this stage of
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