A Study on the Ant Community of Horizontal Band on the East Slope of the Gaoligong Mountain Nature Reserve

On the east slope of Gaoligong Mountain each section has its endemic ant species except the middle south section at 2 500 m. From north to south, the amount of endemic species increases at 1 000 m,1 500 m, 2 000 m and 2 500 m contours, but the north section at 1 500 m and 2 000 m has exceptionally high endemic species amount. Most species appears as dominant species only in a sample plot at different altitude contour on the east slope, and dominant species of the north section are commonly different from that of the south section. Dominant species amount of north section are higher than that of south section at 1 000 m and 2 000 m contours, in contrast dominant species amount of north section is lower than that of south section at 1 500 m. At 2 500 m, dominant species amount of different sections tends to be equal. A common regularity is shown in species amount and density at horizontal band on the east slope. From north to south, species amount and density increase at 1 000 m and 2 500 m contours but decrease at 1 500 m. Obvious regularity is also observed in predominant index, species diversity index and evenness index at 1 000 m contour. From north to south, predominant indices decrease but diversity indices and evenness indices increase with exception at north section. Due to the secondary and fragmentation of vegetation, ant communties have no regularity in predominant index, species diversity index and evenness index at 1 500 m, 2 000 m and 2 500 m contours.Although the east slope with similar vegetation type at same contour, ant communities have distinct difference from one to another and with similarity coefficients range from 0 to 0.50. At 1 000 m on the foot of the mountain, similarity coefficients among ant communities are higher and range from 0.25 to 0.50. While the altitude increasing, similarity coefficients among ant communities at the same horizontal band decrease.