Butterfly community recovery in degraded rainforest habitats in the Upper Guinean Forest Zone (Kakum forest, Ghana)

Published source details Sáfián S., Csontos G. & Winkler D. (2011) Butterfly community recovery in degraded rainforest habitats in the Upper Guinean Forest Zone (Kakum forest, Ghana). Journal of Insect Conservation, 15, 351-359.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Re-plant native trees in logged areas Action Link
	Encourage natural regeneration in former plantations or logged forest Action Link

Re-plant native trees in logged areas

A site comparison study in 2007 and 2009 in an area of moist forest in the Central Region, Ghana (Sáfián et al 2011) found that after nine years, an area replanted Species richness was similar in nine-year-old replanted forest (54), naturally regenerated secondary forest (51) and a clear-cut area (53), all of which had fewer species than primary forest (62). However, using statistical models, replanted forest had lower estimated species richness (66–75) than the clear-cut area (66–75 vs 77–128). Butterfly community diversity was lower in all three diversity metrics in replanted forest than clear-cut or primary forest, and in two of three metrics than secondary forest (data presented as diversity indices). Differences between habitat types were not tested statistically. Butterfly community compositions in the replanted forest, naturally regenerated secondary forest and primary forest were more similar to each other than to the clear-cut area, but replanted forest and naturally regenerated secondary forest community were more similar to each other than to the primary forest (data presented as similarity index results). Four habitat patches were surveyed, all within a 40 ha area and ~250 m apart from each other, on the boundary of Kakum National Park: young forest planted nine years ago with Ceiba pentandra, Chlorophora excelsa, Terminalia ivoriensis and Khaya ivoriensis, middle-aged naturally regenerated secondary forest, old primary forest and an area which was previously primary forest but was clear cut one year prior to the first surveying year. Patch size was not given. Eight banana-baited traps were established 30 m apart in each of the sampled patches, and operated for 12 consecutive days, three times each in 2007 and 2009. Butterflies were collected from traps daily.

(Summarised by: Eleanor Bladon)
Encourage natural regeneration in former plantations or logged forest

A site comparison study in 2007 and 2009 in an area of rainforest in the Central Region, Ghana (Sáfián et al 2011) found that naturally regenerated secondary forest had lower observed butterfly species richness than primary forest and similar richness to a clear-cut area and forest replanted nine years ago, and lower butterfly community diversity than primary forest and the clear-cut area. Similar numbers of species were recorded in secondary forest (51) to a clear-cut area (53) and nine-year-old replanted forest (54), all of which had fewer species than primary forest (62). However, when taking into consideration the number of rare and common butterflies seen, for all four indices calculated, secondary forest had lower estimated richness (62–73) than the clear-cut area (77–128). Butterfly community diversity was lower in secondary forest than primary and clear-cut forest (data presented as diversity indices). Differences between habitat types were not tested statistically. Butterfly community compositions in the naturally regenerated secondary forest, replanted forest and primary forest were more similar to each other than to the clear-cut area, but naturally regenerated secondary forest was more similar to replanted forest than primary forest (data presented as similarity index results). Four habitat patches were surveyed, all within a 40 ha area and ~250 m apart from each other, on the boundary of Kakum National Park: young forest planted nine years ago with Ceiba pentandra, Chlorophora excelsa, Terminalia ivoriensis and Khaya ivoriensis, middle-aged naturally regenerated secondary forest, old primary forest and an area which was previously primary forest but was clear cut one year prior to the first surveying year. Patch sizes were not given. Eight banana-baited traps were established 30 m apart in each of the patches, and operated for 12 consecutive days, three times each in 2007 and 2009. Butterflies were collected from traps daily.

(Summarised by: Eleanor Bladon)