Biomass and abundance of termites in three remnant areas of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

High termite richness in an urban fragment of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

“…Considering only the region north of the Sã o Francisco River, 37 species have been identified to the species level. Studies examining termite assemblages in the Atlantic Forest have reported between 21% and 100% nondetermined species (Bandeira et al1998, Silva & Bandeira 1999, Brandã o 1998, Vasconcellos et al 2005, Reis & Cancello 2007, Vasconcellos 2010, Souza et al 2012. The sampling effort used in this study was the highest ever made in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest fragment, which could partly explain the high species richness in relation to other studies in the same biome.…”

“…Including four new records of this study (Ibitermes inflatus, Orthognathotermes longilamina, O. tubesauassu e Termes hispaniolae), a total of 46 species are now known from the Atlantic Forest (Bandeira et al 1998, Brandã o 1998, Vasconcellos et al 2005, Reis & Cancello 2007, Vasconcellos 2010, Souza et al 2012. Considering only the region north of the Sã o Francisco River, 37 species have been identified to the species level.…”

“…Based on in situ observations of feeding and on information available in the literature concerning Neotropical termites (DeSouza & Brown 1994, Constantino 1999, Sena et al 2003,Vasconcellos et al 2005, Vasconcellos 2010, the species were classified as belonging to the following feeding groups: (i) wood-feeders, that consume the wood of live or dead trees in various stages of decomposition; (ii) soilfeeders, that feed on humus and generally live in the ground; (iii) wood/soil feeders, that consume humus as well as wood in different stages of decomposition, and usually carrying soil into the wood they are consuming; and (iv) wood/leaf feeders, that consume both wood in advanced stages of decomposition and leaf litter on the forest floor.…”

“…More than 2,900 living species have been described globally (Krishna et al 2013), and the greatest values of adiversity and biomass have been recorded in humid tropical forests (Vasconcellos 2010, Jones & Eggleton 2011. Up to 50% of the decomposition of organic detritus of plant origin has been attributed to termite action in these forests (Bignell & Eggleton 2000).…”

“…Very few studies have been published concerning the structure of termite assemblages in northeastern Brazil, especially in the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest ecosystems (Bandeira et al 1998, Mélo & Bandeira 2004, Vasconcellos 2010). Furthermore, although some studies have been performed in fragments of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, including the study area of this work, the species richness of termites was clearly underestimated.…”