Abstract

CHACON DE ULLOA, Patricia  and  ABADIA, Juan Carlos. Two decades of study of the diversity of ants in Colombia. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. [online]. 2014, vol.38, n.148, pp.250-260. ISSN 0370-3908.

The Research Group on the Biology, Ecology, and Management of Ants at the Universidad del Valle has published 60 studies in the last two decades on different Colombian ecosystems, including rural zones, protected areas, crops, and urban areas. Seventy percent of the contributions concentrated in the Andean region, followed by the Pacific, Insular, Amazon and Orinoco regions, each with 7%, and 2% in the Caribbean region. In terms of number of species, the ant diversity recorded reflects areas with greater sampling effort, such as the Pacific lowlands (227 species), the Andean valley of the Cauca river (215 species), the Amazon piedmont in the department of Caquetá (132 species), the Gorgona Natural National Park (129 species), and the Caribbean region (122 species). Studies include some key species of ants due to their rarity, endemism, wide distribution, or invasive behaviour, as well as those classified as indicators of habitats and land uses, diversity, and ecosystem disturbance. Ecosystem services to which various species contribute are also mentioned.

Keywords : Protected areas; bioindicators; species richness; rural landscapes; ecosystem services.

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