Résumé
Aim: This study investigated how human activities and local environmental variables shape tree assemblages (species composition in a defined location), comparing their effects on edible and inedible tree species. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) Environmental filtering impacts spatial beta-diversity more than dispersal limitation; (2) human activities significantly influence regional tree beta-diversity; and (3) predictors of beta-diversity differ between edible and inedible species. Location: Tropical forest in Nigeria and Cameroon in West and Central Africa. Methods: Tree data were collected between 2002 and 2019 from 66 forest plots. Species were categorised as edible and inedible by humans using interviews and online databases. Pairwise beta-diversity (partitioned into total beta-diversity and turnover) between plots was analysed using Generalised Dissimilarity Models (GDMs) with geographical distance, plot-specific variables (forest composition, climate, elevation, stem density, human influence indicators), and human influence indicators (distance to closest human presence [DCHP], and nearest anthropogenic edges [DNAE]) as predictors.