Rapid Assessment of Insect Responses Post-Fire Chronosequence in Equal-Sized Savanna Grassland Plots

Abstract

This study presents the first systematic assessment of insect communities following fire disturbance in Ghana's Shai Hills Resource Reserve. Using a chronosequence approach, insect assemblages were sampled from one unburnt and three burnt savanna plots (6-, 12-, and 18-month post-fire). Insect richness and abundance increased with time since fire, but remained lower than in the unburnt control. Taxa responded differently: Formicidae showed resilience to fires, while Phasmatodea and Mantodea were absent from all burnt plots. Community composition gradually shifted toward the unburnt control. Findings highlight the ecological impacts of fire and the importance of replication in managing biodiversity in fire-prone grasslands.