Land-use changes impact responses of termite functional and taxonomic diversity in the Colombian Amazon

Habitat degradation, a common consequence of land-use changes, reduces termite species richness. However, the impact of these changes on functional diversity remains poorly understood. This research aimed to assess the response of the taxonomic and functional diversity of termites in different land uses within the Colombian Amazon. Termites were surveyed in three habitat types (secondary forest, silvopastoral system, and agroforestry system) using a structured sampling design with 36 sampling points. Seven functional traits were measured from 30 individuals (worker caste) per species. We collected 23,140 individuals distributed in 2 families, 7 subfamilies, 50 genera, and 95 species. Results showed higher taxonomic diversity in the secondary forest compared to silvopastoral and agroforestry systems, which were similar. Likewise, the secondary forest presented higher functional species differentiation than the agricultural systems. Furthermore, land-use intensification led to changes in functional traits, with body size increasing in degraded habitats. This research provides significant evidence of the consequences of land use changes on the taxonomic diversity and functional traits of termites, emphasizing the importance of considering functional diversity responses in future research. La degradaci & oacute;n del h & aacute;bitat, una consecuencia com & uacute;n de los cambios en el uso del suelo, reduce la riqueza de especies de termitas. Sin embargo, el impacto de estos cambios en la diversidad funcional sigue siendo poco conocido. Esta investigaci & oacute;n tuvo como objetivo evaluar la respuesta de la diversidad taxon & oacute;mica y funcional de las termitas en diferentes usos del suelo dentro de la Amazonia colombiana. Las termitas fueron estudiadas en tres tipos de h & aacute;bitat (bosque secundario, sistema silvopastoril y sistema agroforestal) utilizando un dise & ntilde;o de muestreo estructurado con 36 puntos de muestreo. Se midieron siete rasgos funcionales en 30 individuos (casta obrera) por especie. Se recolectaron un total de 23.140 individuos distribuidos en 2 familias, 7 subfamilias, 46 g & eacute;neros y 95 especies. Los resultados mostraron una mayor diversidad taxon & oacute;mica en el bosque secundario en comparaci & oacute;n con los sistemas agr & iacute;colas, que fueron similares. Adem & aacute;s, la intensificaci & oacute;n del uso del suelo provoc & oacute; cambios en los rasgos funcionales, con un aumento del tama & ntilde;o corporal en los h & aacute;bitats degradados. Esta investigaci & oacute;n proporciona evidencia significativa de las consecuencias de los cambios en el uso del suelo sobre la diversidad taxon & oacute;mica y los rasgos funcionales de las termitas, enfatizando la importancia de considerar las respuestas de diversidad funcional en futuras investigaciones. Land-use changes in the Colombian Amazon reduced termite species richness in disturbed areas compared to natural forests. This study found that not only the number of termite species declined, but also the variety of their functional roles within the ecosystem. The results highlight the need to consider how land use impacts not just the number of termite species, but also their functional roles in the ecosystem.image