Distribution Pattern of Ants in Huanglianshan National Nature Reserve From Yunnan, China

To elucidate the distribution patterns of ant species in the Huanglianshan National Nature Reserve, a plot-based survey method was employed to investigate ant diversity within the reserve. A total of 209 ant species, representing 9 subfamilies and 66 genera, were collected from 38 plots spanning eight vertical gradient transects. Elevation significantly influenced ant communities within the reserve. Both ant species richness and genus richness exhibited a unimodal pattern (peaking at mid-elevations) rather than a simple linear relationship with increasing elevation. Ordination analysis revealed significant dissimilarity between communities at low- and high-elevation sites. Furthermore, the distance-decay model confirmed that community similarity significantly decreased with increasing elevational distance. Regression analysis demonstrated a significant positive correlation between the upper elevational distribution limit of ant species and their elevational distribution breadth, indicating that species occurring at higher elevations possess wider vertical adaptation ranges. Subsequent statistical analysis of foraging and nesting habits showed that the majority of ants foraged on the ground surface and nested within the soil. Among the habitats sampled, low-altitude tropical seasonal rainforest and coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest harbored the highest ant species richness. In contrast, eucalyptus plantations and rubber plantations, which exhibit a higher degree of landscape homogeneity, supported significantly fewer ant species. Our data establish a foundation for further research on elevational variation and provide context for discussing key aspects of ant management and conservation in Huanglianshan National Nature Reserve.