The sustainability of selective logging depends on impact assessments and monitoring of abiotic factors, vegetation and fauna. In this study, the richness and composition of ants were estimated and compared in forest submitted to reduced-impact logging techniques in Acre, Brazil. Ants were collected with pitfall traps and Winkler extractor method, in 30 plots of 10 x 10 m. Plots were equally distributed in three treatments: (1) logged - base of trees explored in 2007, (2) natural fall - base of naturally fallen trees in unlogged forest (3) control - a plot without falling tree in the same unlogged forest. Variables such as shrub and tree density, basal area of trees and fallen trees, leaf litter thickness and canopy coverage were estimated to characterize the vegetation. Tree density was significantly higher in the control than in the logged treatments. Significant differences were found for canopy cover between control and logged treatments and control and natural fall treatments. A total of 88 ant species belonging to seven subfamilies were collected. Richness of ants did not differ among treatments. Although lower similarity was found between management and control treatments, there were no major differences in composition between them. These results indicate that for this area, the activity of low-impact logging did not affect the assembly of ants. Therefore, this type of management has not resulted in changes in the ecosystem in relation to services associated with ants.
Ants and logging; Composition and conservation; Reduced-impact
