@article{fdi:010088168,
  title = {{T}he biogeography of {G}abonese savannas : evidence from termite community richness and composition},
  author = {{O}ndo, {F}. {E}. and {J}effery, {K}. {J}. and {W}hytock, {R}. and {A}bernethy, {K}. {A}. and {C}outeron, {P}ierre and {E}ggleton, {P}. and {G}riffin, {C}. and {O}stle, {N}. {J}. and {P}ambo, {A}. {F}. {K}. and {N}gomanda, {A}. and {N}dong, {J}. {E}. and {P}arr, {C}. {L}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}im: {T}he mosaic of savannas that persists in the forest-dominant {C}ongo {B}asin is thought to be palaeoclimatic relics, but past biogeographical processes that have formed and maintained these systems are poorly understood. {H}ere, we explored the post-{P}leistocene biogeography of {G}abon's savannas using termites as biological indicators to understand historical and mechanistic factors influencing present-day termite communities in the country's extant savannas. {L}ocation: {G}abon, {C}entral {A}frica. {T}axon: {B}lattodea: {T}ermitoidae. {M}ethods: {U}sing standardised transect methods, we sampled termite communities in four disjunct modern savanna areas of {G}abon: the centre ({L}ope), the southeast ({B}ateke) and the south ({M}ayombe {N}orth and {S}outh). {T}ermites at {L}ope were collected in three habitats (annually burned savannas, savannas with a depressed fire regime and forest). {W}e used {DNA} barcoding of the {COII} region to identify termite species and compared abundance, species richness and community composition across areas and habitats. {R}esults: {C}ommunity composition differed greatly between {L}ope and both {B}ateke and {M}ayombe savannas with {L}ope being exceptionally depauperate and lacking characteristic savanna species. {W}ithin {L}ope, termite abundance and diversity was highest in forests and lowest in annually burned savannas, with a gradual change in species composition across the forest-savanna gradient associated with fire history. {M}ain {C}onclusions: {T}he absence of savanna typical species in {L}ope savannas challenges current assumptions that these savannas were linked to the south/southeastern savannas during the {P}leistocene and suggests a different evolutionary history. {L}ope savannas may instead have opened as an isolated grassland and never have been contiguous with neighbouring savannas, or were isolated soon after forest expansion began and have now lost savanna-typical species. {F}urthermore, the patterns of termite community composition in fire suppressed savannas support a hypothesis of rapid change driven by fire frequency where either fire suppression or infrequent burning over 23 years has meant savannas have become ecologically much more forest-like.},
  keywords = {biogeography ; {C}entral {A}frica ; {DNA} barcoding ; fire ; forest ; {G}abon ; savanna ; termites ; {GABON}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {B}iogeography},
  volume = {[{E}arly access]},
  numero = {},
  pages = {[14 p.]},
  ISSN = {0305-0270},
  year = {2023},
  DOI = {10.1111/jbi.14671},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010088168},
}