DIVERSIDADE E REDES DE INTERAÇÃO DE VESPAS E ABELHAS QUE NIDIFICAM EM CAVIDADES PREEXISTENTES: EFEITO DA MODIFICAÇÃO DE HABITATS

Abstract

Changes caused by anthropogenic activities in natural systems have aggravated changes in the environment and living things present. These environments of Araucaria Forest, after intensive process of replacement plant cover a feature forest, by cropping systems, currently they are represented by small forest fragments , isolated by different open areas covered by natural vegetation. This study aimed to identify differences in species composition and compare the alpha and beta diversity of wasps and bees that nest in preexisting cavities in fragments Araucaria Forest and adjacent areas altered by human action . For that wasps and bees were collected in three fragments Araucaria Forest and three open areas adjacent to forest fragments, early successional stage, through the method of collecting trap nests . Sampling was carried out between September 2012 to June 2013. During this period were listed 552 nests, 296 in the amended and 256 in areas of forest environments . Nests were founded by 17 different species, nine species occurred exclusively in altered areas, five species occurred in forest environments, and only three species occur in both environments. The hypotheses tested in the study, the functional group of wasps and bees that nest in preexisting cavities presents differences in species composition and diversity between Araucaria Forest and surrounding areas modified by human action environments, only the first was accepted. Due to the different communities compositions of forest environments and disturbed areas the beta diversity index has indicated little similarity between the environments. The indices used to verify the alpha diversity of environments, it doesn`t significant differences, which allow us to reject the hypothesis that the modification of habitats causes changes in the diversity of these insects.