Entomofauna and Litter Production in Amazonian Forest Environments

The forest ecosystems, their plant compositions and different forms of management present in the edaphic entomofauna the fundamental elements for their functioning, so that the knowledge of these communities is important for perspectives of sustainable management of forest ecosystems with Brazilian mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King). These insects are important for the functioning of forest plantations, presenting themselves as great allies in the maintenance of forest biodiversity in Amazonia. The planting of forest monocultures, although economically important, results in negative effects due to the low diversity of plant products. The insect population has a tendency to follow the plant richness, because many insects depend directly or indirectly on it for their survival. The presence of monodominant areas may thus influence the diversity of insect species associated with these areas, since low plant diversity entails differences in the availability of resources in such environments.