To reveal the community and species diversity law of ants in Huanglong Nature Reserve and adjacent areas of Sichuan, so as to provide a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation. Ant diversity of the area was investigated using the methods of plot sampling, morphological taxonomy, diversity measurement and partial correlation analysis. Totally 34 plots of 50 m × 50 m and 170 quadrats of 1 m × 1 m were surveyed at an altitude ranging from
1264 m to
3990 m (with altitude difference
2726 m) from July to August in 2024 and 2025 respectively. A total of 443,945 ant individuals were recorded. Totally 62 species belonging to 27 genera and 4 subfamilies of Formicidae were recognized in Huanglong Nature Reserve and adjacent areas.
Formica sentschuensis Ruzsky and
F. sinensis Wheeler were the dominant species, meanwhile 17 relatively rare species and 35 rare species were found in the ant community. Main indicators of ant communities in different altitude sample plots were as follow: species richness ranged from 2 to 21 species (average 8.6), individual densities ranged from 12.0 to 268.0 heads/m
2 (average 74.8 heads/m
2), diversity indices ranged from
0.0018 to
2.1540 (average
0.7904), evenness indices ranged from
0.0016 to
0.7174 (average
0.3619), dominant indices ranged from
0.1404 to
0.9997 (average
0.6219). As the altitude increases, species number, individual density, diversity index, and evenness index of ant communities fluctuates and decreases, and the dominant index fluctuates and increase, it is mainly restricted by altitude factor. Similarity coefficients between ant communities on different vertical zones were
0.1519-
0.4918 (average
0.3289), ranging from extremely dissimilar to moderately dissimilar levels. Correlation analysis shows that there is an extremely significant negative correlation between species richness, individual density, diversity index, evenness index and altitude (
P < 0.001), an extremely significant positive correlation between dominant index and altitude (
P < 0.001), an extremely significant positive correlation between species richness and litter thickness (
P < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation between species richness, individual density and canopy density (
P < 0.05).
Conclusion Ant species richness is relatively low in Huanglong Nature Reserve and adjacent areas, it may be related to its high altitude and cold climate background. In ant community, the number of dominant species is relatively small, while the number of rare species is relatively large, it should be given priority attention in biodiversity conservation. Ant communities in different vertical zones show significant differences and possess different conservation values. The influence of altitude, canopy density, and litter thickness on the community structure and diversity of ants along altitudinal gradient is significant. This study has, for the first time, clarified the ant species, community structure and diversity law in Huanglong Nature Reserve and adjacent areas, and provided scientific basis for the conservation of Formicidae insect biodiversity in the region.
中文 
English 
DownLoad: