• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to project page

2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Studies on refulation of herbivores by ants in tropical rain forests

Research Project

Project/Area Number 14405004
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section海外学術
Research Field 生態
Research InstitutionKyoto University (2004)
Nagoya University (2002-2003)

Principal Investigator

ITIOKA Takao  Kyoto University, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Associate Professor, 大学院・人間・環境学研究科, 助教授 (40252283)

Project Period (FY) 2002 – 2004
Keywordsant community / tropical rain forests / South-east Asia / canopy biology / epiphytes / regulation of herbivores / Borneo
Research Abstract

To elucidate the species composition, abundance and spatial distribution of ants in the forest canopy of a tropical rain forest in Borneo, ant abundance were censused in the forest canopy of 15 tree species several times in the dipterocarp forest at Lambir National Park in Sarawak, Malaysia, using the system for observation of forest canopy there. In addition, to analyze the effects of ants on the herbivores, herbivore abundance and herbivory damage on leaves of the trees were also censused. Moreover, the effects of presence of epiphytes and aerial soil in the forest canopy on the availability of nest sites for ants were studied in the field.
The results suggested that few species of ants utilize space both on the ground and on trees as their home range, that spatial distribution of ant species in the forest canopy is rather stable, and that particular ant species prefer the forest canopy or epiphytes for their nest sites. A few ant species that usually use the ground surface as their home range were observed to expand the range onto the surface of the tree trunk temporarily, and ant species that settle in the domatia of some epiphytes were often observed to be dominant in the forest canopy. The home ranges of these two types of ant species showed little overlap spatially, and were likely to have indirect influences on the spatial distribution of the other species in the forest canopy. Thus, it is presumed hat there is strong interspecific competition in the ant community in the forest canopy. The data suggest the possibility that ants that colonize epiphytes might regulate the abundance of lianas and other epiphytes and indirectly affect the spatial distribution of the other ants through the regulation. The data on the relations between herbivory damage and ant abundance suggest that these ant species might significantly function as predator regulating herbivores on the trees.

  • Research Products

    (10 results)

All 2004 2003 2002

All Journal Article (9 results) Book (1 results)

  • [Journal Article] Severe drought, leafing phenology, leaf damage and lepidopteran abundance in the canopy of a Bornean aseasonal tropical rain forest2004

    • Author(s)
      Itioka, T., Yamauti, M.
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Tropical Ecology 20

      Pages: 479-482

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Severe drought, leafing phenology, leaf damage and lepidopteran abundance in the canopy of a Bornean aseasonal tropical rain forest.2004

    • Author(s)
      Itioka, T., Yamauti, M.
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Tropical Ecology 20

      Pages: 479-482

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Resource use of insect seed predators during general flowering and seeding events in a Bornean dipterocarp rain forest2003

    • Author(s)
      Nakagawa, M., Itioka, T., Momose, K., Yumoto, T., Komai, F., Morimoto, K., Jordal, B.H., 他5名
    • Journal Title

      Bulletin of Entomological Research 93

      Pages: 455-466

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Resource use of insect seed predators during general flowering and seeding events in a Bornean dipterocarp rain forest.2003

    • Author(s)
      Nakagawa, M., Itioka, T., Momose, K., Yumoto, T., Komai, F., Morimoto, K., Jordal, B.H., Kato, M., Kaliang, H., Hamid, A.A., Inoue, T., Nakashizuka, T.
    • Journal Title

      Bulletin of Entomological Research 93

      Pages: 455-466

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Insect responses to general flowering in Sarawak.2003

    • Author(s)
      Itioka, T., Kato, M., Kaliang, H., Merdek, M., Nagamitsu, T., Sakai, S., Mohamad, S.U., Yamane, Sk., Hamid, A.A., Inoue, T.
    • Journal Title

      Arthropods of Tropical Forests : spatio-temporal dynamics and resource use in the canopy (p.474) (eds. Basset, Y., Novotny, V., Miller, S.E. & Kitching, R.L.)(Cambridge University Press)

      Pages: 126-134

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Carbon and nitrogen content of food bodies in three myrmecophytic species of Macar anga : implications for antiherbivore defense mechanisms2002

    • Author(s)
      Hatada.A., Itioka, T., Yamaoka, R., Itino, T.
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Plant Research 115

      Pages: 179-184

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] 地上40mでの昆虫調査:熱帯低地フタバガキ林の林冠昆虫の生態2002

    • Author(s)
      市岡孝朗
    • Journal Title

      昆虫と自然 37(8)

      Pages: 16-19

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Carbon and nitrogen content of food bodies in three myrmecophytic species of Macaranga : implications for antiherbivore defense mechanisms2002

    • Author(s)
      Hatada, A., Itioka, T., Yamaoka, R., Itino, T.
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Plant Research 115

      Pages: 179-184

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Ecological studies on insects in the canopy of a tropical lowland dipterocarp forest.2002

    • Author(s)
      Itioka, T.
    • Journal Title

      The Nature & Insects 37(8)

      Pages: 16-19

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Book] Arthropods of Tropical Forests : spatio-temporal dynamics and resource use in the canopy2003

    • Author(s)
      Itioka, T., Kato, M., Kaliang, H., Merdek, M., Nagamitsu, T., Sakai, S., Mohamad, S.U.他3名
    • Total Pages
      474
    • Publisher
      Cambridge University Press
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より

URL: 

Published: 2006-07-11  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi