Studying ants in the treetops: perspectives Maurice Leponce Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 rue Vautier, 1000 Brussels, Belgium Cranes, by offering direct access to the forest canopy, allow detailed studies of trophic interactions between ants, plants (floral and extra-floral nectaries) and other insects (especially honeydew producing Hemiptera). Crane availability and operation time (daytime) are however limiting the extent of these studies. We will review arboreal ant sampling methods that could be useful complements to canopy cranes. In particular we designed a rapid assessment protocol to study the spatial distribution (across trees and along tree trunks) and dominance hierarchy of ants in rainforests. This protocol is based on baits spread every 5m along a rope. One end of the rope is tied around the trunk and, with the help of a sling-shot, the other is slung over a branch in the canopy, forming a loop that enables the baits to be easily brought back down for inspection. On-site confrontations between dominant ants colonizing baits allow to map colony extension on neighbour trees. The baitline protocol has also potential to study food preferences, diel activity and to monitor dominant ant populations.
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Papua New Guinea rainforests are among the most biodiverse on Earth. They still cover extensive areas but are being altered at a rapid rate. Their biodiversity is still largely unexplored especially in the treetops, called the canopy. For exploring the canopy biodiversity, new tools based on hot air or helium balloons are being developed. They allow collecting in situ plants and insects. Ants reign in the canopy. They are sometimes found living inside extraordinary epiphytes, which adapted their structure to accommodate the ants. For protecting native rainforests, an innovative approach, linking biodiversity research and capacity building, is implemented. Gifted naturalists, called parataxonomists and paraecologists, are recruited in villages and trained by internationally renowned scientists. Research stations create local employment. This source of income added to money from sponsors allow local communities to obtain access to a higher level of education and health care without having to give in to the pressure related to deforestation. (Author & director: Maurice Leponce, 2015, HD, 16min)
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