Measure of leaf area removed by insects in plants growing on gaps with and without ant gardens

The herbivory was taken between 27-Apr to 15-May-2015, in two forested sites of the Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio) in southern Amazonia. The distance botween the sites are about 15 km and both is located on the Continental farm, municipality of Cláudia, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The cordinates sites is: Site I (11°34’S, 55°17’W); Site II (11°35’S, 55°17'W). Along 24 Km (12 KM in each site) of trails we found treefall gaps with (16) and without (17) ant gardens growing on the trees. In each of those gaps, 20 individuals of shrubs and treelets with extrafloral nectaries (EFN), and the same number of plants with approximately the same height, but without EFN were taken. In some gaps, however, the numbers of plants taken did not reach 20 individuals. For each plant, the proportion of leaf area removed by herbivores were measurred on five (5) apical leaves.