The Chief Goliath and the future of African ecology
Luca Luiselli
Abstract
The African Journal of Ecology (AJE) is the foremost scientific periodical dedicated to the study of ecology in the African continent. Over several decades, the AJE has occupied an important, though some may say peculiar niche amongst the plethora of international scientific journals dedicated to ecology. The journal has grown dramatically since its inception (when it was known as the East African Wildlife Journal published up to 1978) and numerous papers have been published, some of them seminal papers shedding new light into the ecology of large savannah mammals (e.g. Caughley, 1976; East, 1984; Wyatt & Eltringham, 1974) and primates (e.g. Harcourt & Fossey, 1981; Struhsaker, 1981; Gautier-Hion, 1983). The journal's peculiarity and niche, at least at its start, were certainly due to the fact that East Africa (and the parts that had once been administered by Britain) was the original focus of the journal (published then by the East African Wildlife Society), and that was how it originally came to give so much attention to large mammals and consequently to the East African savannas. Later, the journal's niche reflected the fact that in Africa, (i) research funds provided by international bodies were primarily dedicated to the study and protection of large charismatic species – elephants, gorillas, lions and large ungulates; (ii) there is greater media interest on larger species; and (iii) the influence of the colonial legacy of what nature conservation should be (Beinart, 1989; Nelson, 2003). Many of these species also gained a much greater importance since the introduction and wide acceptance of the umbrella-species concept in contemporary conservation biology (Caro, 2003). The study of the continent's megafauna arguably then became even more solidly justified scientifically, and therefore firmly established at a global scale. Nonetheless, although it is important to pursue the study and protection of the charismatics, focussing on single-species umbrella-species under the supposition that if these are protected all others under it are secure will not ensure the longevity of co-occurring communities and will not safeguard other taxa (Roberge & Angelstam, 2004). Moreover, umbrella-species usually identified on unsound criteria often reliant on temperate-zone experiences are not easy to apply to tropical ecosystems. This is because in tropical regions ecological niches are much narrower, distribution ranges are generally smaller (e.g. Rapoport, 1982) and the “entropy” of the system is always much higher (Luiselli & Amori, 2022). This means that “minor” taxa have a disproportionate role in the functioning of tropical ecosystems compared to the temperate ones where, however, even small saproxylic beetles are crucial ecosystem engineers (Luiselli & Amori, 2022). “Minor” taxa are thus a priority for study given that, despite their small size, they may be as large as elephants in their ecological importance. As the AJE has expanded in recent years, it has embraced in the process many different topics, and has broadened its breadth within African ecology. Papers published in the last 2 years, for instance, have ranged from the impact of humans on wildlife (e.g. the wild meat trade in several African regions), to methodological innovations such as the use of camera trap data to determine large mammal population sizes, the effectiveness of drones or the use of convolutional neural networks to monitor aquatic megafauna. In a more classic vein, studies on the assembly of African rodent communities or even on the structure of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities have been published. There have also been some broader analyses published such as on the economic value of tropical inland freshwater habitats. As the incumbent Editor-in-Chief of the AJE, I congratulate my predecessors for editing the journal so enthusiastically, and for widening its scope and contents. It is very clear how well they have steered the journal to be a mirror of how ecological science in Africa has been flourishing as well as how it reflects the trends and tendencies in global scientific research and biological conservation. What is most rewarding to see is the increase in contributions by African scientists (that authored or co-authored almost all recent papers), contrasting with the situation 20 years ago. This result is also due to the tremendous efforts made in the past by my fellow editors and attesting the high quality reached in ecological research in Africa during recent years. A look at the articles published in AJE in the last two volumes (vol. 59 and 60, total = 211 articles) shows that, although large and medium-sized mammals are only a small fraction of African biodiversity, about 38% of the contributions were on elephants, ungulates, felids and primates. An additional 3.3% were devoted to “mixed” topics where still large mammals were an essential component. Instead, only 59% of the articles covered studies on all other species of animals and plants. Interestingly, only about 4% of these “other” articles were on insects and arthropods, even though these animals account for over 80% of all animals on the planet (Odeegard, 2000). These results demonstrate that AJE is perceived by contributors and, probably, by readers, as the platform for studies of large mammals and their role in African ecosystems. This is not necessarily a bias in the journal's interest, but a partiality generated by the unequal dedication of international donor funding of “totemic” species research. So, once again, AJE represents a reliable mirror of the progression of ecological science in Africa and therefore can be perceived as a powerful influencer of the field's direction and progress in the future. Given these initial soundings, I am persuaded that our journal can make a more concerted effort to encourage the publication of studies on the ecology of “other” African taxa. There are too many species about which we know very little, and which are worth more scientific attention. We could argue that by focusing only on a relatively small group of species we will never achieve the level of understanding needed to adequately protect the vast richness in as well as the functioning of African ecosystems – all fundamental to ensure the survival of whole landscapes. We will likewise miss out the silent loss of many taxa from the most fragile habitats and regions. The case of the Chief Goliath Beetle (Goliathus cacicus) is a formidable example of the concerns I have presented in the previous paragraphs. This beetle, up to about 9.5 cm in length, occurs throughout the Upper Guinean Forest block (Croizat, 1994; De Palma et al., 2020). This beetle is one of the largest, most beautiful and charismatic insects in Africa. It has never been the subject of any scientific study of its ecology, behaviour, habitat preferences and its distribution is not precisely known. For instance, there are old studies reporting its presence in western Nigeria (Croizat, 1994), but there are no reliable records East of Lake Volta in Ghana. In fact, most information on this species comes from international entomological market dealers in Europe and North America, or from specimen museum labels, often inaccurate and with very little detail (Morani, 2016). Even the GBIF database (available at: <Goliathus cacicus (gbif.org)>, last accessed on 24 September 2022) contains serious misidentifications, attributing some individuals of G. goliatus (from central Africa!) to G. cacicus. Based on the information available from local harvesters and exporters, we know that this giant beetle was very common in several sites in Cote d'Ivoire until the 1980s, particularly in coastal moist forests of the country. However, the Chief Goliath has been massively exploited for the International entomological market over decades (Morani, 2016), as its natural habitat (the West African moist forests) was destroyed for agriculture (especially cacao, see Rice & Greenberg, 2000; Kouassi et al., 2021) and human settlements (Mallon et al., 2015). Although threatened by exploitation and habitat loss, the Chief Goliath has never been of interest to conservation biologists and ecologists working in the field. So much so that the species has never been evaluated by the IUCN despite showing all the signs of decline. Proof of this is the fact that the Chief Goliath has apparently not been found for years in sites where it was once harvested in abundance (e.g. the Banco forest near Abidjan) and no new individuals have been exported for from January 2012 to December 2021 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/goliathus.sp/permalink/1144474852756604/). The apparent rarefaction of this species, although completely ignored by science, has gone so far that even a website specialising on the sale of beetles has published that the Chief Goliath may now even be extinct in the wild, thus creating an obvious exponential increase in price of specimens sold in recent years (http://www.collector-secret.com/insect/coleoptera/goliathus, accessed 23 September 2022). In fact, the species is certainly not extinct since in the last few years there were some observed/collected/exported individuals from a few sites in eastern Liberia and western Cote d'Ivoire (Dendi et al., 2023). However, all circumstantial evidence shows that the species is in dramatic decline, and the conclusion can only be that one of the most fascinating African beetles has been declining while completely ignored by science but noticed by beetle collectors – another classic case of “Rome burning” while we like Nero, fiddled. Recent face-to-face interviews with farmers, part-time hunters and forest products collectors confirm that the Chief Goliath is truly rare and probably Critically Endangered in its native range (Dendi et al., 2023). Declining trends occur in other congeneric species (Dendi et al., 2021; Muafor & LeGall, 2011) for the same reasons as the Chief Goliath; most surely the fate of many insects in different habitats and geographical regions (Davis & Philips, 2005; Wagner, 2020; Wagner et al., 2021). The consequences for the Chief Goliath, other beetles and many insects are their complete obliteration in the next few decades (Kouassi et al., 2021). Obviously, the same reasoning can apply to many other scientifically neglected Afrotropical species, including plants and vertebrates, for instance, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, etc. But, with more dedicated science-based conservation actions adopted their fate may be reversed. Although no one knows how many invertebrates (or “minor” taxa) are experiencing the same fate as the Chief Goliath, I am convinced that AJE can play a crucial role in alerting and informing those in science and conservation to understand the status of species and in so doing stimulate further study and action. Because AJE is well respected within and outside Africa, studies reported in the journal will help lead conservation practice and actions. So, as the Editor-in-Chief I would like to push for the submission of papers on the “minor taxa” as well as on the more traditional groups. If the AJE becomes an important vehicle for scientifically strong articles that deal with the huge breadth of biodiversity in Africa, we will have fulfilled a very important mission of not just concentrating on the “big things” but also on those “little things” that in fact make the world function. I am therefore considering launching a Special Issue of the AJE that will concentrate on the ecology of African invertebrates and their conservation needs. “Watch this space” as they used to say in 19th century newspapers. Since its origin as a mature science, and particularly since 1960s, ecology has matured into an in-depth and rigorous science not just in terms of analyses but in the theory that underpins it. Theoretical ecology is an interdisciplinary branch in ecology, of worldwide appeal and therefore with many outlets in numerous journals, for example, Oikos, Theoretical Ecology or Journal of Theoretical Biology. The basic tenet of this branch of ecology is the study of ecological systems using theoretical methods including conceptual and mathematical models as well as computational simulations and advanced data analysis (see Jopp, 2011). George Box's famous aphorism that “all models are wrong but some are useful” (Box, 1979), illustrates that the use of effective models can improve our understanding of the natural world by revealing how species and populations dynamics are often based on fundamental biological principles and processes, and by unifying empirical observations under the assumption that shared mechanistic processes generate observable phenomena across species and ecological systems. Nonetheless, theoretical ecology is still at an embryonic stage in Africa, and it is generally limited to advanced data analysis of local systems without much attempt to generalise from these. AJE can contribute to improving the role of theoretical ecology in Africa by opening its doors to more papers of this ilk. To achieve this, AJE should publish studies of this type more frequently by first creating a special section focused on theoretical applications using data from African ecosystems. Papers in this new section, to be called “In Perspective,” will be peer-reviewed as other articles submitted to the journal. For “Standard articles” and “Review articles,” we will explicitly require that manuscripts must be clearly hypothesis-driven, to strengthen the theoretical basis of every paper. However, descriptive studies will go under the “Short Communication” section and will need to be condensed to be published. I strongly believe that by ensuring adequate ecological theory underpins the submitted work, African ecology will be better able to use a variety of proven methodologies (such as modelling) to forward clearer ways of understanding the variety of organisms and their interactions in the African continent. This is not to say that descriptive studies (surveys on interesting populations, species and localities) are not also central. These will continue to be published in the AJE, but with much more attention placed on the information presented, always with an eye on how such data can be generalised to other comparable scenarios and systems. If you scroll through the title of the articles published by the main journals of tropical ecology (AJE, Journal of Tropical Ecology, Biotropica) in the last 5 years, you will notice a certain disconnect between the type of articles published (mostly on natural populations without human interference) and the generality of the environmental research funds available in Africa, which often come from large companies “exploiting the environment” (agricultural, energy) or by conservation foundations that always require to evaluate the “human dimension” in the study. Especially in Africa, the “human dimension” is essential to understand ecological phenomenology: just think of the bushmeat “crisis” or the importance of community conservation in safeguarding biodiversity on a local scale. These themes have begun to be published in AJE quite regularly in recent years, but it will be my immediate goal to disseminate by AJE a greater number of analytical studies of broad interest regarding human influence and social aspects on the evolution of ecosystems and natural populations of animals and plants in Africa. Although not traditionally covered by AJE, we will also consider papers on human ecology where their effects on the African landscape, trophic chain, general ecology and biodiversity conservation are clear and of broad relevance. We will not consider purely cultural studies or cultural anthropological studies, but only those studies that consider human behaviour within the ecological context and niche theory. I understand these issues are sensitive given the dramatic history of slavery/colonisation/discrimination that African populations have had to endure for centuries. I am certainly not unaware of how European countries still tend to deny/ignore/minimise the atrocities perpetrated by their own brutal “colonial empires” (e.g. Ewans, 2017; Hickman, 2008; Karari, 2018). However, I believe it is essential to address the issue of human ecology in a continent under rapid economic development and so environmentally fragile. For example, it is important to analyse the effects that forest communities can have, with their lifestyle, on the habitats and density of forest species, or if there is any “ecological” competition for the collection and exploitation of non-timber forest resources between communities facing the same forest, and whether this competition can be sustainable or catastrophic for the persistence of the target species. Most of these aspects, although crucial for our understanding of the ecology of the African forest, have been widely ignored. In fact, academic research has traditionally been oriented either on the purely cultural aspects of the human communities in question (which do not fall within the scope of AJE) or on the simple description of conservation issues for certain species or populations, with vague references to human impact. Instead, at AJE, we seek innovative interdisciplinary contributions that examine socio-cultural, ecological, economic, demographic aspects of human populations that affect natural environments positively or negatively. In short, the keyword remains the “ecology,” but the “human component” will no longer be neglected by AJE in the years to come. Instead, the articles with a strong or even predominant human dimension component will find their place in a newly launched category of papers, the “Interdisciplinary Perspective articles.” community for example, it is of fundamental importance to find that the communities to quite and the of biodiversity in their and the international scientific community to these data and by the A in this direction has been by et to the funds of and to apply the by in A to forest systems in The was to a that can be used in many different in Africa. This type of innovative studies in the of community conservation are important in the development of ecological science in Africa. I strongly encourage these of articles to be published in AJE, as well as studies on the dynamics of the wild meat trade in to the social and cultural of the populations will therefore be given to studies that our on a certain those that are of previous In while the traditional that have made AJE the journal on African ecology, it will be my mission as the new Editor-in-Chief of the journal to its scope to scientific that can influence the development of ecology science in Africa. In other the AJE must not only the platform for the publication of interesting of science on the plants and animals of Africa, but the to the development of ecological science in Africa. In this I would contributors to to the type of papers they would like to publish in our and in any of ecological science in Africa to and scientific or or other that are new for the As we value science and interest for a wide and in the new for the journal we a of (from articles to including also In Perspective and the into and We must make it our mission to know more about the functioning of African ecosystems under the influence of humans as well as those that are more without the many African species that are little known those that are under of without it. This was of with Amori, and the Editor-in-Chief data provided in this