Anthropogenic activities affect forest structure and arthropod abundance in a Kenyan biodiversity hotspot

Abstract Land-use change remains the main threat to tropical forests and their dependent fauna flora, degradation of existing forest remnants will further accelerate species loss. Forest may result directly from human use or through spatial effects land-use change. Understanding drivers its on biodiversity is pivotal for formulating impactful management monitoring protocols, but such knowledge lacking many hotspots, as Taita Hills in southeast Kenya. Here we first quantify social factors (human activity presence) at plot landscape level, (gazetted vs. non-gazetted) (fragment size distance edge) vegetation structure indigenous fragments. Next, degraded arthropod abundance diversity. We show that presence both level explain variation structure. particularly provide evidence despite a national ban cutting trees, poaching pole-sized trees subsistence be simplifying structure, with strongest edge-dominated, small Furthermore, found support positive effect abundance, although daily maximum temperature yearly was more pronounced. Maintenance multi-layered addition reforestation maybe key conservation endangered endemic Hills.