First report of ant gardens in renacales of the Andean Amazonian Piedmont in Peru; Primer reporte de jardines de hormigas en renacales de Piedemonte Andino-Amazónico en Perú

Abstract

Tropical ecosystems, renowned for their astonishing biodiversity, play a crucial role in regulating the global climate. Among these, renacales, characterized by their floodable nature and dominance of species such as Ficus trigona and Inga sp., are particularly interesting yet poorly studied. This study focused on the renacales of the Tingana reserve, where the presence of ant gardens was documented, suggesting that these vegetative formations provide a suitable habitat for these symbiotic interactions. The ant genera Camponotus sp. and Azteca sp. were identified in the ant gardens, highlighting their importance in ecosystem. This finding represents a significant advance in the study of symbiotic interactions in these ecosystems with large information gaps. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.