In order to observe the effect of forest loss on the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa, samples were taken in primary forest, secondary forest and in cocoa plots. Ants were extracted from the leaf litter by sieving followed by suspension in Winkler bags. The species composition and species richness in the three different habitats were compared and no significant difference was found between them. It was concluded that most primary forest leaf litter ant species continue to survive in parts of the agricultural landscape which has largely replaced their original habitat.
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Belshaw, R., Bolton, B. The effect of forest disturbance on the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana. Biodivers Conserv 2, 656–666 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051965
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051965