African Journal of Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Fruit-Piercing Moth Serrodes partita (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in Soft Citrus: Feeding Behaviour and Damage Patterns for Improved Management in the Eastern Cape, South Africa","authors":"T. G. Mushore,&nbsp;C. A. Coombes,&nbsp;S. D. Moore,&nbsp;M. P. Hill","doi":"10.1111/aje.70228","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70228","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The fruit-piercing moth, <i>Serrodes partita</i> (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), is a significant pest of soft citrus in South Africa. The adult moth pierces ripe and ripening fruit, leading to fruit rot. The damage is challenging to detect due to the delayed onset of symptoms. The study investigated the feeding preferences and damage patterns of <i>S. partita</i> in South African citrus orchards in the Eastern Cape Province to further develop effective management strategies. Mass trapping in two Satsuma Mandarin orchards revealed higher moth catches on boundaries adjacent to the river and indigenous vegetation, suggesting inter-habitat movement. Feeding assessments showed a preference for damaged or ripening fruit, with Satsuma Mandarins exhibiting significantly more feeding scars than Clementines. Both cultivars displayed rotting symptoms within 3–4 days post-feeding from 34 fruit, emphasising the need for a post-harvest holding period to detect damage when <i>S. partita</i> activity is apparent. The study also highlighted the moths' preference for physically compromised fruit, likely due to the increased release of attractant fruit volatiles and easier access to juice. Strategic retention of damaged fruit as sacrificial bait, combined with mass trapping, is proposed as a cost-effective control measure that requires further assessment, particularly when moth populations are high. This study advances fruit-piercing moth research in South Africa by improving understanding of <i>S. partita</i> feeding behaviour, damage development, and management in citrus orchards.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70228","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148994371","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":"Functional Trait and Spatial Distribution Variations Are Modulated by the Bulb Storage in Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn","authors":"Hanan F. Kabiel,&nbsp;Abd El-Nasser S. Al Borki,&nbsp;Ahmad K. Hegazy","doi":"10.1111/aje.70227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70227","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The hysteranthous geophyte <i>Drimia maritima</i> (L.) Stearn is a medicinal plant of ecological significance. This species inhabits open gaps within the southern Mediterranean mountain range of the Al-Akhdar region in northwestern Libya. We combined demographic and functional trait measurements with structural equation modelling to compare <i>D. maritima</i> populations between wadi and mountain slope habitats. Spatial point pattern analysis was used to examine within-population spatial distribution, clonal reproduction and interspecific interactions. Our results revealed that variation in bulb size (storage) was associated with distinct life strategies and spatial distributions in both habitats. In the wadi site, individuals prioritized shoot growth and reproduction over bulb storage. In contrast, individuals on the mountain slope prioritized bulb storage over shoot growth and reproductive output. Clonal reproduction in the slope population compensated for lower reproductive output and resulted in a clumped spatial pattern. Conversely, the absence of clonal growth in the wadi population was offset by higher reproductive output, leading to a random spatial distribution. These divergent functional strategies between wadi and slope populations provide key evidence for ongoing niche divergence in <i>D. maritima</i>. We propose that bulb size acts as a mediator of environmental stress, modulating the species' response towards either a conservative or a synergistic strategy. Our findings improve our ability to predict plant species responses to future climate change scenarios, particularly in terms of functional strategies and spatial distribution.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993956","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":"Linking Tree Diversity, Stand Structure and Environmental Gradients Across Contrasting Miombo Land-Cover Types","authors":"Richard A. Giliba,&nbsp;Canisius J. Kayombo,&nbsp;Almas Kashindye,&nbsp;Mathew Mpanda","doi":"10.1111/aje.70224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70224","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Miombo woodlands form a broad African woodland biome that includes substantial internal variation in canopy cover, stand structure and species composition. This study assessed tree diversity, stand structural attributes, DBH size-class contribution, floristic similarity and environmental drivers across closed woodland, open woodland and wooded grassland within the miombo landscape of Itulu Hill Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania. A total of 90 plots were surveyed, with 30 plots established in each land-cover type. Tree species diversity was assessed using species richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity and Pielou evenness. Stand structure was evaluated using stem count, stocking, DBH, basal area, volume, above-ground biomass and carbon stock. Species accumulation, rarefaction, NMDS, PERMANOVA, Jaccard and Sørensen similarity indices, dominant-species contribution analysis, and distance-based redundancy analysis were used to assess sampling completeness, floristic composition, and environmental relationships. A total of 1975 individual trees representing 105 species were recorded. Closed woodland had the highest total number of individuals and species, followed by open woodland, while wooded grassland had the lowest richness. Plot-level diversity indices did not differ significantly among land-cover types, although accumulation and rarefaction indicated richer assemblages in closed and open woodland than in wooded grassland. Mean DBH differed significantly among land-cover types, whereas most other stand-level attributes did not. Small DBH classes dominated stem count and stocking, while intermediate and larger classes contributed most to basal area, volume, above-ground biomass and carbon stock. Dominant miombo taxa made large contributions to stand structure and biomass. Tree species composition differed among land-cover types, although the effect was modest, and the significant dispersion test requires cautious interpretation. Elevation, terrain ruggedness and soil bulk density were significantly associated with species composition. The results indicate that land-cover types within the same miombo ecosystem can show similar local tree diversity while differing in size structure, floristic composition and environmental relationships.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942755","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":"When Bigger Is not Better: Corolla Length Increases Nectar Robbing in Aloe secundiflora Engl. (Asphodelaceae)","authors":"Luis Navarro","doi":"10.1111/aje.70225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70225","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nectar robbing is a widespread but unevenly documented component of plant–pollinator interactions, and quantitative assessments from African savanna systems remain limited. Based on a short field survey conducted over two consecutive days, this study quantified the frequency and reproductive consequences of nectar robbing in a population of <i>Aloe secundiflora</i> in northern Tanzania and tested whether robbing probability was associated with floral morphology and plant-level traits. A total of 385 flowers from 10 plants were examined. Nectar robbing affected 34% of flowers, whereas 21% initiated fruit. Robbing was performed not only by insects but also by the collared sunbird (<i>Hedydipna collaris</i>), whereas the scarlet-chested sunbird (<i>Chalcomitra senegalensis</i>) acted as the dominant legitimate visitor. The probability of robbing increased strongly with corolla tube length but was unrelated to corolla diameter, floral display or nearest-neighbour distance. Nectar robbing had a pronounced negative effect on fruit initiation: robbed flowers showed substantially lower probability of fruit initiation than non-robbed flowers. In contrast, fruit initiation was positively associated with corolla diameter, whereas corolla tube length had no independent effect once robbing status was included in the model. These results indicate that floral morphology influences susceptibility to nectar robbing and that robbing can impose short-term fitness costs even in bird-pollinated African succulents. By providing quantitative evidence from an understudied African system, this study highlights the importance of illegitimate floral interactions in shaping reproductive outcomes in bird-pollinated succulents.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70225","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942052","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":"Freshwater Fish Assemblages Across Protected Areas in South Africa: A Baseline for Biodiversity Conservation and Invasion Surveillance","authors":"Fannie M. Masina,&nbsp;Linton F. Munyai,&nbsp;Pule P. Mpopetsi,&nbsp;Farai Dondofema,&nbsp;Dumisani Khosa,&nbsp;Tatenda Dalu","doi":"10.1111/aje.70222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70222","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Protected freshwater areas often fail to conserve fish biodiversity when they exclude catchment connectivity and invasion pathways. This study aimed to inventory freshwater fish species across six protected areas in South Africa and examine patterns in assemblage composition across different waterbody types, biogeographic settings and the occurrence of non-native species. Fish surveys were carried out across six protected areas in South Africa. A total of 29 species (&gt; 3400 individuals) from 12 families were recorded. Species richness varied among sites, with Kruger National Park sites recording the highest richness (22 species), followed by Barberton Nature Reserve (18 species), Songimvelo Nature Reserve (7 species) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute sites (5 species). The lowest species richness was recorded at Ohrigstad and Skertspruit Nature Reserves, each with only 2 species. Assemblages reflected regional biogeography, connectivity and habitat conditions, including rheophilic upland taxa and lowland omnivores and grazers. Threatened native species included <i>Chiloglanis bifurcus</i>, <i>Anguilla mossambica</i> and <i>Oreochromis mossambicus</i>. Only one non-native species, <i>Xiphophorus helleri</i>, was detected and confined to an urban-facing botanical garden site.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148860156","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":"Mapping Non-Human Primate Conservation Evidence in Tanzania's Eastern Arcs—Southern Highlands Ecosystem: A Systematic Review of Threats, Research Gaps and Recommended Strategies","authors":"Francis M. Chebby,&nbsp;Issakwisa B. Ngondya,&nbsp;Richard A. Giliba","doi":"10.1111/aje.70221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70221","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Eastern Arcs—Southern Highlands (EASH) ecosystem of Tanzania constitutes a critical portion of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot and supports several endemic and threatened primate taxa. While the region's exceptional non-human primate diversity is recognized, the absence of a regional synthesis of research efforts, documented threats, and conservation responses limits the identification of evidence gaps and the alignment of conservation actions with available ecological knowledge. We conducted a systematic review and evidence map of peer-reviewed and accessible grey literature to assess the state of knowledge on EASH primates. Following PRISMA guidelines, we screened 304 records, with 36 meeting our eligibility criteria. Our analysis revealed a fragmented and taxonomically biased knowledge base. Of the 90 species-occurrence records extracted, research attention was concentrated in Cercopithecidae (61.1%) and Colobidae (33.3%), whereas Galagidae accounted for only 5.6% despite comprising four documented species. Research effort was particularly concentrated on a few well-studied taxa, including <i>Procolobus gordonorum</i> (18 studies) and <i>Rungwecebus kipunji</i> (11 studies), while several nocturnal taxa were represented by minimal primary field research. The literature consistently identified interconnected hunting and habitat loss as dominant threats, while conservation recommendations focused primarily on legal protection and monitoring, with limited attention to specific threat mitigation or community-based approaches. This synthesis demonstrates that uneven evidence coverage may constrain conservation planning by leaving poorly studied taxa and locations underrepresented in decision-making. Addressing these gaps requires targeted ecological research on neglected taxa and integrated conservation strategies tailored to the socio-ecological complexities of the EASH region.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70221","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148849021","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":"Forest Fires' Effects on Dry-Season Nocturnal Arthropod Abundance in Madagascar's Tropical Dry Forest","authors":"Tristan Frappier-Brinton,&nbsp;Tojoson Andriamaminirina,&nbsp;Mamitiana Sheilla Farahasina,&nbsp;Rantonirina Ravalisoa,&nbsp;Shawn M. Lehman","doi":"10.1111/aje.70220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70220","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tropical forest fires increasingly threaten global biodiversity, yet we have few data describing how fires impact arthropods in tropical forests. We present preliminary data on the effects of forest fires on nocturnal arthropod abundance in the dry season of Ankarafantsika National Park, the largest remaining area of Madagascar's tropical dry forests. Arthropods were sampled using light, sticky and pitfall traps over 2 years post-fire in unburned, once-burned and multi-burned (multiple fires in 5 years) forest. We assessed (1) if arthropod abundance, inferred from capture rates, was affected by forest fires, and if responses differ among taxonomic orders, and (2) if abundance was more greatly reduced after multiple or higher-severity fires. We captured 16,406 arthropods across 18 orders. Fire responses varied substantially by trap type and taxonomic group. Orthoptera showed consistently higher abundance in burned forest, whereas ants exhibited consistent declines. Total sticky and pitfall trap captures were significantly higher in burned forest when ants were excluded. Multiple fires reduced vegetation metrics more than single fires. However, arthropod abundance was not notably reduced after multiple or higher-severity fires. Some arthropods appear to return rapidly even to severely-burned forest, but it remains unclear which species or functional groups are driving these changes.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148848937","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":"Soil Management and Site Conditions as Key Drivers of Soil Health in Cocoa Landscapes","authors":"Affoué Nadège Kouadio,&nbsp;Julien Kouadio N'Dri,&nbsp;Serge Demeango Zon,&nbsp;Jérôme Ebagnérin Tondoh,&nbsp;Raphaël Marichal","doi":"10.1111/aje.70219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70219","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Understanding the factors governing soil health in cocoa landscapes is essential for promoting the ecological sustainability of tropical agroecosystems. This study aims to assess the relative contributions of soil management practices and site-specific environmental conditions in shaping soil biological communities and determining soil physicochemical properties across cocoa landscapes. We compared cocoa agroforestry systems and full-sun cocoa plantations across five cocoa-producing landscapes in Côte d'Ivoire, while simultaneously assessing soil macrofauna community structure and a comprehensive set of physicochemical soil properties. Cocoa management systems did not significantly influence macrofauna community composition, abundance, or taxonomic diversity. In contrast, soil macrofauna assemblages were strongly structured by study sites, highlighting the predominant role of local environmental conditions in shaping belowground biodiversity patterns. Similarly, soil physicochemical properties varied primarily among sites, with marked differences in soil texture, water content, bulk density, pH, and nutrient availability. Despite the greater structural complexity of aboveground vegetation in agroforestry systems, this configuration did not result in measurable improvements in soil biodiversity under conventional management practices. Nevertheless, all studied soils exhibited signs of soil fertility depletion, characterized by low levels of soil organic carbon, essential nutrients, and cation exchange capacity. Among the environmental variables assessed, soil water content emerged as the strongest predictor of macrofauna community composition, emphasizing its role as a major ecological filter regulating soil organism distribution and activity in tropical cocoa landscapes. These findings demonstrate that the use of soil organisms as bioindicators requires the integration of local pedoclimatic conditions to effectively disentangle the effects of agricultural management from natural spatial variability among sites. The long-term sustainability of cocoa production systems therefore depends on an integrated approach combining context-specific agroecological design with targeted soil management strategies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148848802","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 the Conservation Status, Drivers of Threat and Available Occurrence Records of Sub-Saharan African Freshwater Molluscs: Gaps and Patterns","authors":"Marcel Kruger,&nbsp;Dewidine van der Colff,&nbsp;Wynand Malherbe","doi":"10.1111/aje.70216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70216","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Freshwater molluscs are key bioindicators of ecosystem health, yet their conservation status and data coverage in sub-Saharan Africa remain poorly understood. Mollusca is the third most evaluated phylum on the IUCN Red List in Africa, with 1394 species assessed (656 freshwater), of which 39.6% are Least Concern and 12% Critically Endangered. Notably, 22.4% are Data Deficient, signalling major knowledge gaps. This study assessed the availability of freshwater mollusc occurrence records and molecular data across mainland sub-Saharan Africa. Occurrence records were compiled from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), filtered geographically, taxonomically standardised and linked to IUCN Red List categories. In parallel, cytochrome oxidase I (COI) barcode coverage was evaluated using the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). We identified 36,927 occurrence records, with South Africa (6683) and Tanzania (4299) contributing the most data. Sampling effort was strongly clustered in central and southern Africa, revealing pronounced spatial biases. The Democratic Republic of Congo supported the highest number of threatened species, including 10 Critically Endangered and 19 Endangered taxa. Despite this concentration of diversity and threat, only 94 sub-Saharan freshwater mollusc species possessed COI barcodes, exposing a severe shortfall in molecular reference data. By integrating GBIF occurrences, IUCN assessments and BOLD barcodes, this work jointly evaluates conservation status, data completeness and genetic information for freshwater molluscs in sub-Saharan Africa. Analyses of geographic, taxonomic and threat-related patterns exposed critical gaps in occurrence records, inconsistencies in threat documentation and widespread deficiencies in molecular resources. Pollution, habitat modification, invasive species and overharvesting were the most frequently reported threats. Collectively, these findings identify priority regions and taxa for reassessment, enhanced monitoring and strategic expansion of genetic reference libraries, providing a targeted framework to strengthen freshwater mollusc conservation in the region.</p>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aje.70216","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148783581","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":"Diversity and Distribution of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Across Three Ecosystems in Lagos State Nigeria","authors":"B. O. Jimoh,&nbsp;K. A. Kemabonta,&nbsp;I. B. Ezeobiora,&nbsp;K. Gomez,&nbsp;A. A. Denloye,&nbsp;P. N. Mothapo","doi":"10.1111/aje.70215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.70215","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ants are widely used as bioindicators because their diversity and species composition respond to environmental conditions. This study investigated the diversity, distribution, and abundance of ant species across three ecosystem types in Lagos State, Nigeria: nature reserves (conservation and recreation), agroecosystems (cassava farms), and residential areas. Three sampling methods (pitfall traps, baiting, and hand collection) were employed. Diversity indices and Bray Curtis dissimilarity were used to characterise community structure and assess similarity among sites. A total of 101 ant species belonging to 6 subfamilies and 30 genera were recorded. Species richness varied across ecosystems, with higher richness in agroecosystems (80 species), followed by nature reserves (61 species) and residential areas (28 species). Diversity and richness differed significantly among sites (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), with Badagry showing the highest diversity (3.51) and Alimosho the lowest (2.07). Some overlap in species composition was observed between nature reserves and residential areas, including the presence of non-native species. The occurrence of these species across all ecosystems suggests widespread human-mediated dispersal. These findings highlight patterns of variation in ant assemblages across land-use types and underscore the need for continued monitoring to support biodiversity conservation in rapidly urbanising tropical landscapes.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":7844,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Ecology","volume":"64 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148754153","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}