Density and size of Acromyrmex crassispinus nests in Pinus taeda plantations

The objective of this work was to evaluate the density and size of Acromyrmex crassispinus nests in Pinus taeda plantations along the year. The experiments were carried out in Rio Negrinho and Tres Barras, SC, Brazil, in P. taeda plantations of different ages (recently planted and three and six years old). Three plots of one hectare were delimited in each treatment. The nests were classified according to three size classes: class I, up to 30 cm diameter; class II, 31 up to 60 cm; class III, above 61 cm. The density of A. crassispinus nests was low in recently planted areas, nearly two fold in three year-old plantations, and it reduced when the forest was six years old. The greatest nest density occurred in the period from December to April. The nests size increased along with the age of the P. taeda plantations.