Dataset: Impacts of changes in land use on diaspore-dispersing ant assemblages in the Amazon forest

This repository contains data and processing scripts for the study: Impacts of changes in land use on diaspore-dispersing ant assemblages in the Amazon forest Abstract 1. The Amazon rainforest has been undergoing intense processes of land use change, and the impacts are not limited to biodiversity but also ecosystem functions. Ants play a crucial role in resource movement within tropical forest ecosystems and are important ecological indicators to assess the impact of changes in land use on both biodiversity and ecosystem functions. 2. This study therefore evaluated how different land uses affect diaspore-dispersing ant assemblages. We hypothesized that more intensive land uses, such as pastures and slash-and-burn agriculture, would reduce ant number species but increase diaspore removal rates. Furthermore, we expect that land use change would result in a distinct assemblage of diaspore-dispersing ants, characterized by smaller body sizes, a higher proportion of group foragers, and an increased presence of open-area specialists and generalists in more disturbed habitats. 3. We found different ant species compositions among different land uses, but diaspore removal percentages, species numbers, and body sizes did not differ significantly. Nonetheless, ants in more intensive land use predominantly exhibited group foraging behavior and are generalist species. 4. Therefore, our findings are in accordance with a “winners and losers” approach, in which species replacement has ecosystem implications. More ecologically friendly land use is necessary to promote biodiversity and ecosystem functions in the Amazon forest.