Dung beetle community (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in a tropical landscape at the Lachua Region, Guatemala

Abstract

Biological diversity conservation within natural reserves has been prioritized, but conservation efforts outside protected areas (where most human activities take place) have been very little considered. In this scenario, an alternative agricultural practice that may reduce the impacts of fragmentation in outer landscapes is a perforation process, which involves conservation in agricultural fields surrounded by continuous forests. Such practices enhance the positive impact of ecological services on fields. In this study we analyzed the biological diversity state in perforation fields and their surrounding forests. The analysis was done using dung beetles as biological indicators. A nested pattern in dung beetles distribution was found, which ordered the surrounding continuous forest sites as the ones with the highest species richness, followed by the perforation fields, and placed the fragmentation practice fields (continuous agricultural fields surrounding forest patches) with the lowest one. Indicator species for perforation fields and surrounding continuous forests were chosen. In general, perforation practice fields differed in composition, based upon functional groups richness and identity; it also contained a higher species richness than the fragmentation practice. Agricultural practices that enhance biological diversity conservation such as perforation, should be recommended and considered in natural resource management by local communities in order to take advantage of ecological services that otherwise may be gradually lost.

Fishes from Lachuá Lake, Upper Usumacinta Basin, Guatemala

“…Considering Lachuá Lake's regional and internationallyshared biodiversity, and faced with the potential anthropogenic threats to its unknown ichthyofauna, we conducted the first long-term ichthyological survey of this The value of Lachuá Lake and the surrounding 14,500 ha of tropical rainforest as an important biodiversity refuge and recreational center was recognized in 1996, when the area became fully protected as a national park of Guatemala (Avendaño- Mendoza et al 2005). In 2006, Lachuá Lake was included in the Annotated Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar 2007).…”

“…Currently, the Q'eqchi' ethnic group represents most of the surrounding population, with approximately 11,000 inhabitants from 38 local communities. Land registration and road building was established in the region in an attempt to create infrastructure and social services for local repatriated communities after the end of the civil war in 1996 (Avendaño- Mendoza et al 2005).…”

Dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) diversity in continuous forest, forest fragments and cattle pastures in a landscape of Chiapas, Mexico: the effects of anthropogenic changes

“…Moreover, they are a well-defined taxonomic and functional group, and the sampling methods used can be standardized. Also, they have been extensively used in biodiversity studies (among the most recent studies see Aguilar-Amuchastegui and Henebry 2007;Halffter et al 2007;Nichols et al 2007;Spector 2006;Andresen 2003Andresen , 2005Scheffler 2005;Pineda et al 2005;Avendaño-Mendoza et al 2005;Davis et al 2001Davis et al , 2004Halffter and Arellano 2002;McGeoch et al 2002; for a complete reference, see the list of 33 studies cited in Nichols et al 2007). …”

“…The Scarabaeinae have also been widely used as indicator groups (see Nichols et al 2007, including a meta-analysis and a synthesis of 33 publications; Howden and Nealis 1975;Klein 1989;Halffter et al 1992;Estrada et al 1998;Davis et al 2000;Vulinec 2000Vulinec , 2002Andresen 2003;Scheffler 2005;Quintero and Roslin 2005;Shahabuddin et al 2005;Chapman et al 2003;Avendaño-Mendoza et al 2005;Vulinec et al 2006, along with some other references included in our 'Introduction and discussion').…”

“…This is a very important aspect that nevertheless has been addressed by very few studies (see Andresen 2003;Quintero and Roslin 2005;Avendaño-Mendoza et al 2005;Halffter et al 2007). (4) There are no published analyses on the variation of species' diversity-or of other characteristics of the Scarabaeinae communities-among different sites of the undisturbed forests within the same landscape.…”