Ants,Plants and Butterflies as Diversity Indicators: Comparisons between Strata at six Forest Sites in Venezuela

At six different forest sites in Venezuela, we estimated the diversity and abundance of ants and nymphalid butterflies on the ground and in the canopy, and of plants. Statistical analysis using eight different diversity indices for each species group revealed large variations among them. Ground ants appeared to be the most reliable bioindicators, even when only the five most common species are considered. Results showed in addition that ground ant diversity is correlated to that of canopy ants and that vegetational diversity is linked to butterfly diversity but not to that of canopy ants. Ant species diversity in the canopy was always less than that on the ground. We conclude that no simple index or single taxon describes completely complex ecosystems, thus, biodiversity assessments require tools still to be developed.