The effects of trampling to the abundance and diversity of litter ants in Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE) Kalabakan, Sabah

• Main Author: Hasrin Rossleykho
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/39295/1/ABSTRACT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/39295/2/FULLTEXT.pdf; https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/39295/

"This study was conducted at the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE) between March 2013 to July 2013. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of human disturbance towards the litter ant. Winkler extraction method was used to collect litter samples from six blocks namely blocks B, C, D, LFE, Old Growth 2 (OG2), and Oil Palm 3 (OP3). Six random points were chosen in each block. Each point located exactly on the centre of the trails to represent the first point (Om). Then a 50 m line transect was set up starting from the first point and stretched to the interior part of the forest. Litter samples were collected from 0 m, 2 m, 10 m, 20 m, 30 m and 50 m point respectively. Sampling from each marks represent the impact of human disturbance where the first point (0 m) yielded a greater impact than the sixth point (50 m). A total of 5,932 individuals (55 genera, 8 subfamilies, and 163 species) were collected. OG2 recorded the most species (91) followed by block D (70), LFE (57), B (55), OP3(44), and C (40). In terms of individual abundance, block D recorded the highest numbers (1,767) followed by OG2 (1,665), B (704), LFE (775), C (523) and OP3 (498). ANOVA test showed that there were a significant differences of species richness (d.f=5, F=19.635, p<0.05) between habitat and between distance (d.f=5, F=14.712, P=<0.05). Post Hoc test (Tukey) showed that there were a significant differences between Om-l0m,Om-20m,0-30m,Om-50m,2m-20m,2m-30m, and 2m- 50m (p<0.05). Nine ants were considered good indicator for habitat type that is Mesoponera sp 1, Ponera sp 1, Paratrechina sp 2, Mesaponera sp 2, Cardiocondyla sp 1, Lophomyrmex sp 1, Lophomyrmex sp 2 and Prionopelta sp 1 indicated by their high observation indicator values.