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Quansah GW, Adu‐Bredu S, Logah V, Malhi Y, Eggleton P, Parr CL. Termite diversity is resilient to land‐use change along a forest‐cocoa intensification gradient in Ghana, West Africa. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen Adu‐Bredu
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Forestry Research Institute of Ghana Kumasi Ghana
- Department of Natural Resources Management CSIR College of Science and Technology Kumasi Ghana
| | - Vincent Logah
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi Ghana
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Paul Eggleton
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
| | - Catherine L. Parr
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Wits South Africa
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Lind BM, Davies AB. A checklist of the termites of Kruger National Park, South Africa. KOEDOE: AFRICAN PROTECTED AREA CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v61i1.1531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The protection of biodiversity is critical to ecosystem function and is a primary management goal for conservation areas globally. Maintaining a current inventory of known diversity is a central component of achieving this goal and serves as an essential starting point for future research endeavours. Since the first published survey of termites in South Africa’s Kruger National Park (KNP) over 55 years ago, our understanding of termite diversity has expanded sufficiently to merit an update and formal checklist. Here we revise the inventory of termite diversity in KNP and summarise the taxonomic and functional diversity of termites in the park. A thorough review of recent termite research in KNP added 6 new genera and 13 species to what was found in Coaton’s original survey, with one genus, Anenteotermes, recorded for the first time in southern Africa. Based on the updated species checklist, the majority of genera in the park belong to Feeding Group II (39%) and the Termitidae family (75%).Conservation implications: In savannas, termites play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, water redistribution and plant dynamics. Systematically cataloguing termite diversity and assemblage composition in the park provides an essential baseline for scientific research, aids biodiversity conservation efforts and encourages scientists and managers to consider termites in ecosystem functioning and management. Having more detailed descriptions of genera, species and feeding groups allows for more tangible, ecologically relevant attributions of termite influence, facilitates enhanced inquiry and allows for more realistic quantification of termite roles in key ecosystem processes.
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Casalla R, Korb J. Termite diversity in Neotropical dry forests of Colombia and the potential role of rainfall in structuring termite diversity. Biotropica 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin Casalla
- Evolutionary Biology and EcologyUniversität Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Departamento de Química y BiologíaUniversidad del Norte Barranquilla Colombia
| | - Judith Korb
- Evolutionary Biology and EcologyUniversität Freiburg Freiburg Germany
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Felicitas AC, Hervé BDB, Ekesi S, Akutse KS, Djuideu CTCL, Meupia MJ, Babalola OO. Consequences of shade management on the taxonomic patterns and functional diversity of termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) in cocoa agroforestry systems. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11582-11595. [PMID: 30598758 PMCID: PMC6303804 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites have gained importance as major pests in cocoa agroforests. Proper identification of termite species and knowledge on their functional diversity are the first steps in developing environmentally compatible management strategies. We tested the hypothesis that patterns of termite species richness in different cocoa agroforests is related to responses by termite functional groups to changes in shade management. We compared termite assemblages under five cocoa agroforestry systems in Cameroon to assess the impact of shade on termite taxonomic and functional group diversity. Sampling was done using a modified standardized transect method. Two 30 × 30 m quadrates each divided into three transects were laid in four farms at each site. Termites sampled were identified and grouped according to habitats, functional groups, and feeding habits. Sixty-nine termite species in 33 genera and five subfamilies under two families were sampled. Termitidae was the most dominant family and Rhinotermitidae the least dominant with few species. Termite species richness decreased significantly from the heavy shaded cocoa agroforests (44 species) to the full sun (11 species). Functional group pattern differed significantly in all the cocoa agroforests and within each agroforestry system and dominated by wood and litter feeder species. Many species belonging to this group were responsible to most damages on cocoa trees. Both the richness of termite pests and marketable yield followed a quadratic curve and were found to be lowest and highest in plots with shade cover above 40%. The simulated optimal shade levels for low termite infestations and marketable yield overlapped between 45% and 65% indicating that cocoa agroforestry systems with around 55% shade cover may be optimal to balance termite infestations and marketable yield. Shade maintenance in cocoa agroforests is valuable in reducing termite pest species and conserving soil feeding termites which provide beneficial ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambele C. Felicitas
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)NairobiKenya
- Food Security and Safety, Faculty of Agriculture, Science and TechnologyNorth‐West UniversityMmabathoSouth Africa
| | | | - Sunday Ekesi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)NairobiKenya
| | - Komivi S. Akutse
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)NairobiKenya
| | | | | | - Olubukola O. Babalola
- Food Security and Safety, Faculty of Agriculture, Science and TechnologyNorth‐West UniversityMmabathoSouth Africa
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Scheffrahn RH, Roisin Y. Anenteotermescherubimi sp. n., a tiny dehiscent termite from Central Africa (Termitidae: Apicotermitinae). Zookeys 2018:53-62. [PMID: 30405310 PMCID: PMC6218532 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.793.28342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anenteotermescherubimi Scheffrahn, sp. n. is described from workers and male imagos collected in Cameroon and Republic of the Congo. This is the smallest soldierless termite known from Africa. As with many soldierless and soil-feeding termite species, the enteric valve morphology is a robust and essential diagnostic character for An.cherubimi. Preserved workers display pre-autothysis morphology and the effects of abdominal autothysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rudolf H Scheffrahn
- Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, Florida 33314, USA Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences Davie United States of America
| | - Yves Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, CP 160/12, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Université Libre de Bruxelles Brussels Belgium
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Vlčková K, Kreisinger J, Pafčo B, Čížková D, Tagg N, Hehl AB, Modrý D. Diversity of Entamoeba spp. in African great apes and humans: an insight from Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. Int J Parasitol 2018. [PMID: 29530647 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the complex Entamoeba communities in the mammalian intestine has been, to date, complicated by the lack of a suitable approach for molecular detection of multiple variants co-occurring in mixed infections. Here, we report on the application of a high throughput sequencing approach based on partial 18S rDNA using the Illumina MiSeq platform. We describe, to our knowledge, for the first time, the Entamoeba communities in humans, free-ranging western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees living in the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon. We detected 36 Entamoeba haplotypes belonging to six haplotype clusters, containing haplotypes possessing high and low host specificity. Most of the detected haplotypes belonged to commensal Entamoeba, however, the pathogenic species (Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba nuttalli) were also detected. We observed that some Entamoeba haplotypes are shared between humans and other hosts, indicating their zoonotic potential. The findings are important not only for understanding the epidemiology of amoebiasis in humans in rural African localities, but also in the context of wild great ape conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Vlčková
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, Brno 61242, Czech Republic; Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, Brno 603 65, Czech Republic.
| | - Jakub Kreisinger
- Division of Animal Evolutionary Biology, Department of Zoology Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, 128 44 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, Brno 61242, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmar Čížková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, Brno 603 65, Czech Republic
| | - Nikki Tagg
- Projet Grands Singes Cameroon, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, 20-26 Koningin Astridplein, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Adrian B Hehl
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, CH-8057 Zrich, Switzerland
| | - David Modrý
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, Brno 61242, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic; CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, Brno 612 42, Czech Republic
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Sanz CM, Deblauwe I, Tagg N, Morgan DB. Insect prey characteristics affecting regional variation in chimpanzee tool use. J Hum Evol 2014; 71:28-37. [PMID: 24602365 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2012] [Revised: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
It is an ongoing interdisciplinary pursuit to identify the factors shaping the emergence and maintenance of tool technology. Field studies of several primate taxa have shown that tool using behaviors vary within and between populations. While similarity in tools over spatial and temporal scales may be the product of socially learned skills, it may also reflect adoption of convergent strategies that are tailored to specific prey features. Much has been claimed about regional variation in chimpanzee tool use, with little attention to the ecological circumstances that may have shaped such differences. This study examines chimpanzee tool use in termite gathering to evaluate the extent to which the behavior of insect prey may dictate chimpanzee technology. More specifically, we conducted a systematic comparison of chimpanzee tool use and termite prey between the Goualougo Triangle in the Republic of Congo and the La Belgique research site in southeast Cameroon. Apes at both of these sites are known to use tool sets to gather several species of termites. We collected insect specimens and measured the characteristics of their nests. Associated chimpanzee tool assemblages were documented at both sites and video recordings were conducted in the Goualougo Triangle. Although Macrotermitinae assemblages were identical, we found differences in the tools used to gather these termites. Based on measurements of the chimpanzee tools and termite nests at each site, we concluded that some characteristics of chimpanzee tools were directly related to termite nest structure. While there is a certain degree of uniformity within approaches to particular tool tasks across the species range, some aspects of regional variation in hominoid technology are likely adaptations to subtle environmental differences between populations or groups. Such microecological differences between sites do not negate the possibility of cultural transmission, as social learning may be required to transmit specific behaviors among individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crickette M Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; Congo Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, B.P. 14537 Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- Veterinary Entomology Unit, Vector Biology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nikki Tagg
- Projet Grands Singes Cameroon, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - David B Morgan
- Congo Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, B.P. 14537 Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
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