Objective To explore the effect of secondary natural forest and plantations on the diversity of canopy foraging ant communities and the influence of tree selections in plantations on the diversity of canopy foraging ant communities.

Method Investigations of ant communities in secondary natural forest and four plantations were conducted by trap at Lüchun County, Yunnan Province. Meanwhile, the plant diversity and foliage density were investigated.

Result (1) 17998 ant individuals were collected, which belonging to 68 species, 29 genera, and 6 subfamilies of Formicidae. (2) Ant abundance ranked as lac insect-corn agroforests > lac insect plantations > eucalyptus plantations > rubber plantations > secondary natural forests. (3) Ant richness ranked as lac insect-corn agroforests > lac insect plantations > secondary natural forests > eucalyptus plantations > rubber plantations. (4) ACE index ranked as lac insect-corn agroforests > lac insect plantations > secondary natural forests > eucalyptus plantations >rubber plantations. (5) Significantly negative relationship was found between canopy foraging ant abundance, species richness and litter coverage, foliage density of the zone above 300 cm, and the tree crown density, but positive relationship was found between the ant abundance, species richness and herbage coverage. Meanwhile, there were significantly negative relations between ACE index and litter coverage, herbage coverage, and tree crown density, but a positive correlation between ACE index and foliage density of the zone from 175 cm to 199.9 cm.

Conclusion Plantation has a certain positive role to the ant diversity conversation, especially has a significantly effect by choosing native tree. Reasonable management of plantation is conducive to the conservation of biological diversity.