African Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Range Size and Body Size Variation in Afrotropical Montane Millipedes: Test of Ecogeographical Rules","authors":"Mbenoun Masse Paul Serge,&nbsp;Samuel Didier Makon,&nbsp;Woubassi Wuibe Ulrich Sidoine,&nbsp;Bilong Bilong Charles Felix","doi":"10.1111/aje.70100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70100","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Several environmental factors influence geographic variation in body size, range size, and distribution of animals along an altitudinal gradient. In this study, we investigated the effects of altitude and temperature on two morphometric characteristics: body length and trunk width. We evaluated also the species distribution and tested several ecogeographical rules in millipede populations collected across three elevation bands (0–400 m, 401–800 m, and 801–1200 m above sea level). Our results revealed a negative correlation between temperature and altitude, with mean body length and mean trunk width of millipede populations exhibiting an increase from lower to higher altitudes, both of which were negatively correlated with temperature. Additionally, many specialist species occurred at higher elevations while generalist species had a broader distribution range. Species richness increased from lower elevations to mid-elevations and peaked at higher elevations. These patterns underscore that both body size and range size increase with elevation, thereby supporting Bergmann and Stevens rules. However, species richness exhibited a more monotonic increase pattern due to higher human activities found at different elevations. These findings suggest that millipede range size and body size are strongly influenced by a complex interplay of biological and environmental factors along elevational gradients within afrotropical montane ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70100","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145022137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dung Beetles, Shifting Landscapes and the Ecology of Excrement in Southern Africa's Savannahs","authors":"Homage Jubilant Ncube,&nbsp;Patmore Ngorima,&nbsp;Tawanda Tarakini","doi":"10.1111/aje.70097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70097","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Scarabids communities (dung beetles) perform critical services in savannah ecosystems including nutrient cycling and soil enrichment but studies that investigate their feeding ecology are still limited. This study aimed to determine the diversity of scarab beetles as well as investigating their associations with vegetation and dung types in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. Dung traps were used to sample the beetles using three types of dung baits (elephant, buffalo and human) in five vegetation types (mopane, riverine, jesse, miombo and the floodplain) during different times of the day (mornings and afternoons). A total of 52 scarab beetle species were identified during the study period with <i>Kurtops signatus</i> and <i>Neosisyphus calcaratus</i> being the most numerous. The riverine and mopane had the highest scarab beetle abundance and diversity respectively. The elephant dung had the highest beetle numbers but the highest scarab beetle diversity was observed on human faeces. The <i>Euonthophagus vicarius</i> was positively associated with miombo vegetation; <i>Onitis viridulus</i> with riverine vegetation and <i>Sisyphus impressipennis</i> with jesse vegetation. The observed non-random niche overlap suggests that scarab beetle assemblages are structured by deterministic ecological processes rather than stochastic dispersal alone. These results also suggest that dung beetle species preferentially utilise forage resources and that changes in composition of animals in the protected areas may affect their diversity. The projected climatic changes, changes in vegetation and herbivore distribution may also disrupt the services provided by the scarabids.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rewriting the Unassessed, Discredited and Long-Forgotten History of the Pygmy Hippopotamus in Guinea-Bissau","authors":"Luís Palma,&nbsp;Quebá Quecuta,&nbsp;Manuel Nanque","doi":"10.1111/aje.70089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Despite its small area and the loss of forest cover, Guinea-Bissau still is an environmentally diverse and biodiversity-rich country with a high percentage of protected areas. However, its biodiversity is still poorly known and is under threat from land conversion. Therefore, several rare or declining species may soon disappear before they are studied or even before their former presence or persistence in the country can be confirmed. One of these species was the pygmy hippopotamus (<i>Choeropsis liberiensis</i>), as reported in the journal Mammalia in 1958. With no subsequent data, its former presence in the country was later discredited. Considering that this was not based on an in-depth review of the information and further surveys, we analysed in detail the author identity, the circumstances of the sightings, the existence of other supporting information, and searched for new data through interviews in the rural countryside. We conclude that credit for the past occurrence of the species in the country was justified, but our new data suggest it went extinct, presumably in association with the anticolonial war (1963–1974).</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contrasting Plant Diversity and Composition in Vegetation Layers Unveil Nature's Blueprint in Highland and Lowland Forests of an East African Park","authors":"Legrand Cirimwami,&nbsp;Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury,&nbsp;Jean-Claude Mwanga Mwanga,&nbsp;Dumbo Wabika,&nbsp;John Kalume,&nbsp;Gérard Imani,&nbsp;Christian Amani","doi":"10.1111/aje.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lowland and highland forests of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were studied to understand their ecology. The lowland ranges from 810 to 1230 m asl and the highland from 1935 to 2760 m asl. Ten 1-ha nested plots were established in each area; trees with ≥ 10 cm of dbh were inventoried for the tree layer. In each area, 10 0.1-ha and 10 0.01-ha subplots were established for the shrub and herbaceous layers, respectively. In the tree layer, plant diversity, species richness and species pool size differed at different altitudes; the lowland is more diverse and richer (140 vs. 88 species). In the shrub layer, only the Fisher-alpha index differed, showing high diversity in the lowland (14 ± 7.1 vs. 8.9 ± 2.9). In the herbaceous layer, the highland had a higher number of species (78 vs. 50). Twenty-eight, twenty-nine and five species were common to both highland and lowland in the tree, shrub and herbaceous layers, respectively. Height and dbh classes and basal area did not differ, but the importance value indexes of species and families did. These results show that the lowland and highland forests of KBNP differ in the three layers, suggesting tailored management plans.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visual Body Condition Scoring for Wild African Forest Elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis)","authors":"Daniella E. Chusyd,&nbsp;Elizabeth Rowland,&nbsp;Lauren Jacobsen,&nbsp;Daniela Hedwig","doi":"10.1111/aje.70096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70096","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The African forest elephant (<i>Loxodonta cyclotis</i>) has recently been recognised as its own distinct species and classified as critically endangered. There is increased concern regarding how forest elephants will respond to their continuously deteriorating ecosystems due to climate change and habitat loss and fragmentation. Scoring an animal's body condition is non-invasive, quick, and can serve as a proxy for monitoring its health and nutritional status. This study developed the first forest elephant-specific body condition scoring (BCS) system and then investigated how sex, age, rank, and season were associated with adult male and female BCSs at the Dzanga Bai forest clearing, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park (Central African Republic), using photographs taken during the early (December 2022–January 2023) and late (February–March 2023) dry season. The developed BCS system was based on systems used for Asian (<i>Elephas maximus</i>) and African savannah (<i>L. africana</i>) elephants and relied on reference photographs and an accompanying flow chart. Male forest elephants had significantly higher BCSs compared to their female counterparts, while no difference by age or rank was observed. Female forest elephants demonstrated a decline in BCS between the early and late dry season. Together, these results highlight different factors that may impact forest elephant condition, potentially reflecting the individual's overall health state.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144923839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nutrient Composition of Natural Diet Items and Faeces in Free-Ranging Southern Giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa): A Pilot Study","authors":"Rosalyn Pardave,&nbsp;Gernot Osthoff,&nbsp;Marcus Clauss,&nbsp;Francois Deacon","doi":"10.1111/aje.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70095","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Food preference and selection of free-ranging giraffes have been well recorded, but limited data concerning the chemical composition of their diet and faeces are currently available. This pilot study added information on natural diet, nutritional quality and a description of faecal chemical composition of free-ranging giraffe in the Free State Province, South Africa. Measured crude protein levels in leaves were lower compared to previous reports. The leaf calcium (Ca) content was higher than the phosphorus (P) content in all samples, supporting concepts that giraffe may be P but not Ca limited. In the faecal samples of the present study, nitrogen and P concentrations were above the thresholds considered indicative of nutritional deficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70095","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144905377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Movement Path Characteristics for the Kalahari Desert Lizard (Pedioplanis namaquensis)","authors":"Douglas A. Eifler,&nbsp;Luwi Nguluka,&nbsp;Karabo Baipidi,&nbsp;Drew Dittmer,&nbsp;Ashley Underwood,&nbsp;Maria A. Eifler","doi":"10.1111/aje.70099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70099","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Through path analysis, most commonly applied to large animals moving long distances, we evaluated space use of Kalahari Desert lizards. We used sequences of locations to calculate step lengths and turn angles, revealing directed movement towards a central location. Consistent with homing, individuals moved &lt; 30 m from their origin, progressing towards their start before venturing away. We illustrate that fine-scale behavioural resolution can be obtained through movement <i>paths</i>, which can be invisible when applying common metrics focused on <i>levels</i> of movement (i.e., moves/min). Future research incorporating ecological data are needed to identify mechanisms underlying the movement patterns we document.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144897784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does Fencing Protect Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Diversity in Temporary Ponds Within a Livestock-Grazed, Semi-Arid Landscape?","authors":"Thethela Bokhutlo,&nbsp;Lesedi Botsile,&nbsp;Richard Mazebedi,&nbsp;Belda Mosepele,&nbsp;Kirk O. Winemiller","doi":"10.1111/aje.70093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70093","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Protecting the diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates in ponds requires maintaining their habitat integrity. In areas with livestock grazing, fencing ponds effectively protects aquatic vegetation from grazing and prevents livestock from trampling. In this study, we investigated how fencing affects both <i>α</i>-diversity (species richness and diversity within a pond) and <i>β</i>-diversity (species turnover between ponds) by sampling macroinvertebrates and environmental variables from 10 temporary ponds near Palapye, central Botswana. Among these, six ponds were unfenced, and four were fenced. To ensure accurate comparisons, we rarefied species richness and estimated diversity using Hill numbers. We calculated both incidence and abundance-based <i>β</i>-diversity indices. We analysed the relationship between environmental variables and macroinvertebrate communities using redundancy analysis and employed variation partitioning to determine the influence of environmental and distance-related factors on macroinvertebrate variability. Our results showed that fenced ponds exhibited significantly higher Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity and species richness compared to unfenced ponds. Conversely, unfenced ponds experienced greater taxa turnover, while fenced ponds displayed higher abundance-based nestedness. Variation partitioning revealed that environmental factors primarily drove macroinvertebrate variability. These findings support fencing as an effective management strategy to protect macroinvertebrate diversity in temporary ponds within semi-arid, livestock-grazed landscapes. Although fencing enhances <i>α</i>-diversity, it is unnecessary to fence all ponds to maintain <i>β</i>-diversity. The increased nestedness in fenced ponds indicates that macroinvertebrate taxa respond sensitively to habitat disturbances, highlighting the importance of preserving the integrity of fenced ponds to support higher <i>α</i>-diversity.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144894257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid Assessment of Insect Responses Post-Fire Chronosequence in Equal-Sized Savanna Grassland Plots","authors":"Roger Sigismund Anderson,&nbsp;Maxwell Kelvin Billah,&nbsp;Daniel Acquah-Lamptey,&nbsp;Owusu Fordjour Aidoo,&nbsp;Samuel Adu-Acheampong,&nbsp;Thomas Gyimah,&nbsp;Comfort Aku Oseifuah,&nbsp;Prince Anane Agyei,&nbsp;Eliezer Ozor,&nbsp;Michael Morvey,&nbsp;Rosina Kyerematen","doi":"10.1111/aje.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>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.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144888540","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Dioscorea spp. Distribution and Abundance in the Comoros and Management Implications","authors":"Mounir Soule,&nbsp;Hindatou Saidou,&nbsp;Maoulida Saoudati,&nbsp; Razafimahefa,&nbsp;Mohamed Thani Ibouroi","doi":"10.1111/aje.70090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Yam species (<i>Dioscorea</i> spp.) are of major economic, ecological and cultural importance in the Comoros, where the genus is particularly diverse. However, several native species are in decline, potentially due to a combination of ecological constraints and increasing anthropogenic pressures. This study used species distribution modelling (SDM), direct population counts and linear models to assess habitat suitability, abundance and their relationship with ecological and soil-related variables for three yam species: the Comoros-endemic <i>D. comorensis</i>, the regional endemic <i>D. sensibarensis</i> and the widely cultivated <i>D. alata</i>. <i>Dioscorea comorensis</i> showed strong habitat specificity, being confined to intact native forests with minimal disturbance, with only 56 individuals recorded across the island. Its abundance was positively associated with natural forest cover and negatively with agriculture and urban areas. <i>D. sensibarensis</i> was found in both natural and degraded vegetation, with an intermediate population size (266 individuals), and its abundance also declined in areas with high human activity. In contrast, <i>D. alata</i> exhibited a broad ecological amplitude, occurring in farmlands, village landscapes and degraded habitats. Its abundance (345 individuals for the Cameroon variety and 690 for the Comoros variety) was positively correlated with agricultural land use and human-modified areas. The results highlight clear ecological niche differentiation among the three species and stress the importance of land-use patterns in shaping yam abundance. Conservation priorities should include (1) preserving native forests to support rare endemic species, (2) limiting secondary forest conversion to maintain semi-endemic populations and (3) promoting agroforestry systems for sustainable cultivation of introduced species.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"63 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144891668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}