Asian Myrmecology, Volume 3, Ecology and Distribution
Ant diversity in a Peninsular Malaysian mangrove forest and oil palm plantation
NOR RASIDAH HASHIM∗, WAN FARIDAH AKMAL WAN JUSOH AND MOHD NASSRUL SAFRE MOHD NASIR
Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract: In Malaysia, it is a common practice to convert mangrove forests into agricultural plantations, especially oil palm (Nixon et al. 1984; Bennett & Reynolds 1993). For this to happen, mangroves are drained and pesticides and fertilizers are often used to encourage healthy growth and yield of the oil palms (Christensen 1983), impacting biodiversity there and nearby (Macintosh & Ashton 2002; Latiff 2005). Mangroves are challenging habitats and certain mangrove ants, such as the Australian species Camponotus anderseni, show a high degree of adaptation to them (Nielsen et al. 2006).
Keywords: ants, oil palm, mangrove forests, Peninsular Malaysia