Natural disturbances are essential for tropical forests biodiversity. In the Afrotropics, megaherbivores have played a key role before their recent decline. Contrastingly to savanna elephants, forest elephants' impact on ecosystems remains poorly studied. Few decades ago, forests on Mount Cameroon were divided by lava flows, not being crossed by a local population of forest elephants until now. We assessed communities of trees, butterflies and two guilds of moths in the disturbed and undisturbed forests split by the longest lava flow. We surveyed 32 plots, recording 2025 trees of 97 species, and 7853 insects of 437 species. The disturbed forests differed in reduced tree density, height, and high canopy cover, and in increased DBH. Forest elephants' selective browsing and foraging also decreased tree species richness and altered their composition. The elephant disturbance increased butterfly species richness and had various effects on species richness and composition of the insect groups. These changes were likely caused by disturbance-driven alterations of habitats and species composition of trees. Moreover, the abandonment of forests by elephants led to local declines of range-restricted butterflies. The recent declines of forest elephants across the Afrotropics probably caused similar changes in forest biodiversity and should be reflected by conservation actions.

Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Vinicna 7 12844 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology Faculty of Science University of Buea P O Box 63 Buea Cameroon

Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Branisovska 1760 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Dukelska 135 37982 Trebon Czech Republic

Institute of Entomology Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences Branisovska 31 37005 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic

Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research Jagiellonian University Gronostajowa 9 30387 Krakow Poland

Nature Education Centre of the Jagiellonian University Gronostajowa 5 30387 Krakow Poland

Nicholas School of the Environment Duke University 9 Circuit Dr Durham NC 27710 USA

University Paris Saclay 15 rue Georges Clemenceau 91400 Orsay France

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