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Forest Matrix Fosters High Similarity in Bee Composition Occurring on Isolated Outcrops Within Amazon Biome

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  • Ulysses Madureira Maia
  • Carlos Eduardo Pinto
  • Leonardo De Sousa Miranda
  • Beatriz W T Coelho
  • José Eustáquio dos Santos Júnior
  • Rafael Lobo Raiol
  • Vera Lucia Imperatriz-Fonseca
  • Tereza Cristina Giannini
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>14/12/2020
<mark>Journal</mark>Environmental Entomology
Issue number6
Volume49
Number of pages9
Pages (from-to)1374-1382
Publication StatusPublished
Early online date5/10/20
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Most studies analyze fragmentation due to habitat loss caused by anthropogenic activities and few of them analyzed fragmentation on naturally fragmented areas. In the Eastern Amazon, it is possible to find areas naturally open and surrounded by pristine forest. Understanding how species respond to isolation in these areas is an important challenge for decision-making processes aiming conservation and restoration. Using standardized methods of bee collection (entomological nets, bait trap, pan trap, and nest trap), the objective of this study was to analyze the composition and diversity of bees occurring on six isolated outcrops located in two protected areas within Amazon biome. More specifically, we tested 1) if the dissimilarity in bee species composition is explained by the isolation of outcrops and 2) if bee richness, abundance, and Shannon diversity can be explained by the outcrop size. We found 118 species, with the Meliponini and Euglossini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) tribes representing the highest number of species. The similarity in species composition across all outcrops is high and is not explained by the isolation. In addition, the richness, abundance, and Shannon diversity are not explained by outcrop size. Forest does not seem to be a barrier to bee movement, and although most species probably nest in the forests, they use the highly diverse plants of the outcrops as a complementary food source.