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Conservation management and termites: a case study from central Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2022

Kolotchèlèma Simon Silué ,
N’golo Abdoulaye Koné ,
Souleymane Konaté ,
Yves Roisin  and
Judith Korb
Kolotchèlèma Simon Silué*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d’Ecologie et de Développement Durable, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Nature (UFR-SN), Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801, Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire Station de Recherche en Ecologie du Parc National de la Comoé, 28 BP 847, Abidjan 28, Côte d’Ivoire Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
N’golo Abdoulaye Koné
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d’Ecologie et de Développement Durable, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Nature (UFR-SN), Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801, Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire Station de Recherche en Ecologie du Parc National de la Comoé, 28 BP 847, Abidjan 28, Côte d’Ivoire
Souleymane Konaté
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d’Ecologie et de Développement Durable, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Nature (UFR-SN), Université Nangui Abrogoua, 02 BP 801, Abidjan 02, Côte d’Ivoire
Yves Roisin
Affiliation:
Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Roosevelt B -1050, Brussels, Belgium
Judith Korb*
Affiliation:
Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, D-79104, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
*
Author for correspondence: Kolotchèlèma Simon Silué and Judith Korb, Emails: silue.simon04@gmail.com; judith.korb@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
Author for correspondence: Kolotchèlèma Simon Silué and Judith Korb, Emails: silue.simon04@gmail.com; judith.korb@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
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Abstract

Termites are essential components of tropical ecosystems, in which they provide fundamental ecosystem services, such as decomposition of dead plant material, fostering of soil mineralization and provisioning of new microhabitats. We investigated the termite communities of four habitats in two protected areas in West Africa, which differ in management effectiveness: the strictly protected Lamto Reserve (LR) and the Marahoué National Park (MNP), which suffers from anthropogenic disturbance despite its protection status. We tested the effect of disturbance on species composition, richness and abundance as well as on functional (feeding type) composition. The effect of disturbance was clearly visible in the termite communities. Compared to the LR, the MNP had less termite species overall and in all habitats except the shrub savannah. Also the abundance of termites was generally reduced and a decrease of soil feeders recorded. The latter is well-known to be sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance in forests. Comparing our results with other studies, we were able to identify suitable bioindicators of ecosystem health for West-African savannahs. Furthermore, we discuss the potential consequences of anthropogenic disturbance on ecosystem services provided by termites.

Keywords

bioindicatorscommunity ecologydisturbanceecosystem servicesIvory Coastmanagement effectivenessprotected areassavannatermite communities
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 38 , Issue 5 , September 2022 , pp. 304 - 311
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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