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Short-term changes in the structure of ant assemblages in a Guinean savanna under differing fire regimes at Lamto Scientific Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 September 2018

Mouhamadou Kone ,
Kanvaly Dosso ,
Christine Dakele Yode ,
Akissi Evelyne Kouakou ,
Aya Brigitte N'dri ,
N'Golo Abdoulaye Kone ,
Julien Kouadio N'dri ,
Wouter Dekoninck  and
Sebastien Barot
Mouhamadou Kone*
Affiliation:
Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly, UFR des Sciences Biologiques, BP 1328 Korhogo, Côte d'Ivoire
Kanvaly Dosso
Affiliation:
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Unité de Recherche Ecologie et Biodiversité, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
Christine Dakele Yode
Affiliation:
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Unité de Recherche Ecologie et Biodiversité, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
Akissi Evelyne Kouakou
Affiliation:
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Unité de Recherche Ecologie et Biodiversité, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
Aya Brigitte N'dri
Affiliation:
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Unité de Recherche Ecologie et Biodiversité, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
N'Golo Abdoulaye Kone
Affiliation:
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Unité de Recherche Ecologie et Biodiversité, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
Julien Kouadio N'dri
Affiliation:
Université Nangui Abrogoua, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, Unité de Recherche Ecologie et Biodiversité, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
Wouter Dekoninck
Affiliation:
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Sebastien Barot
Affiliation:
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, UMR 137, 32 Avenue H. Varagnat, 93143 Bondy, France, Institut of Ecology and Environmental SciencesUPMC-UMR CR4/CNRS-UMR 7618/IRD-UMR242/INRA-UMR 1392, Paris, France
*
*Corresponding author. Email: kmouhamadou2@yahoo.fr; kmouhamadou@upgc.edu.ci
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Abstract:

To maintain savanna vegetation, mid-seasonal fire has been applied since 1961 in the Lamto Savanna (Côte d'Ivoire). However, this prescribed fire has not impeded tree encroachment during recent years, nor have its effects on insect assemblages been documented. Also the impact of tree intrusion on insect assemblages is poorly studied in savanna. To prevent tree density increasing, a change in fire regime might be a solution. In this study, we examined the effect of different fire regimes (early, mid-seasonal and late fires) on leaf-litter ant assemblages in order to suggest appropriate measures for preventing tree invasion without having an effect on insect communities. Sampling was implemented by combining pitfall trapping and leaf-litter sampling before and after three different fire regimes, early, mid-seasonal and late fires. While the ant species richness declined after the passage of early and mid-seasonal fires, significantly more species were found in the burnt savanna after the late fire. However, the losses or gains of species due to different fire regimes did not cause severe changes in the ant species composition. Of the functional groups identified, only the generalists and specialist predators were respectively strongly affected by the early and mid-seasonal fires, certainly due to micro-habitat modification. Based on the trends observed in the present study, we suggest sampling other invertebrate fauna in similar savanna plots to find out if other insect groups have similar reactions to the applied fire regimes.

Keywords

antsearly fireLamtolate firemid-seasonal firesavanna
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 34 , Issue 5 , September 2018 , pp. 326 - 335
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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References

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