Ant and tenebrionid beetle assemblages in arid lands: their associations with vegetation types in the Patagonian steppe

LESCANO, N.; ELIZALDE, L.; WERENKRAUT, V.; PIRK, G.I.; FLORES, G.

JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 vol. 138 p. 51 - 57

0140-1963

Aridenvironments have long been perceived as simple and homogeneous ecosystems, butslight differences in precipitation, topography and soil attributes result in avariety of distinct plant associations. The availability of differentvegetation types leads to a non-uniform distribution of resources and abioticconditions, which may affect the spatial distribution of their associatedfauna. Here we describe a study, in the San Jorge Gulf district of Patagonia, wherewe tested the relationships between ant and tenebrionid diversity andcomposition and discrete vegetation types in an area where invertebrate faunais poorly known. We captured 5019 individuals, from 13 to 21 species, of antsand tenebrionids, respectively. We found differences in composition of ants andtenebrionids among the vegetation types, with unique ant composition onpeladales and subshrub steppes, and distinct tenebrionid assemblages in allvegetation types. Our results show that ants and darkling beetles respondeddifferently to vegetation type. Because both taxa are key components of arid environmentfauna, it is important to consider vegetation heterogeneity when developingmanagement plans to conserve biological diversity and ecological functions inthese environments.