Replacing native mammal assemblages with livestock in African savannahs, impacts dung beetle diversity and reduces body size

Nependa, Heather U.J.; Pryke, James S.; Roets, Francois

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109211

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Pitfall traps baited with fecal material clearly remain a valid, useful, and efficient tool for dung beetle surveys, providing reliable capture success for species that feed on feces. Their use in biodiversity surveys and ecological studies has been increasing over the past 30 years (Raine & Slade, 2019 ), many of which focus on dung beetle assemblage metrics (Bogoni et al, 2019 ; Chiew et al, 2021 ; Enari et al, 2018 ; Fuzessy et al, 2021 ; Nependa et al, 2021 ), and dung beetle‐mammal interaction networks (Nichols et al, 2009 ; Raine et al, 2018 ). Clearly, it is not our intention to reject a widely established and broadly accepted sampling protocol for the dung beetle field studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bait attractiveness changes community metrics in dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Bach

Mateus

Peres

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Species relative abundance (SRA) is an essential attribute of biotic communities, which can provide an accurate description of community structure. However, the sampling method used may have a direct influence on SRA quantification, since the use of attractants (e.g., baits, light, and pheromones) can introduce additional sources of variation in trap performance. We tested how sampling aided by baits affect community data and therefore alter derived metrics. We tested our hypothesis on dung beetles using data from flight interception traps (FITs) as a baseline to evaluate baited pitfall trap performance. Our objective was to assess the effect of bait attractiveness on estimates of SRA and assemblage metrics when sampled by pitfall traps baited with human feces.Dung beetles were sampled at three terra firme primary forest sites in the Brazilian Amazon. To achieve our objective, we (i) identified species with variable levels of attraction to pitfall baited with human feces; (ii) assessed differences in SRA; and (iii) assessed the effect of bait on the most commonly used diversity metrics derived from relative abundance (Shannon and Simpson indices). We identified species less and highly attracted to the baits used, because most attracted species showed greater relative abundances within baited pitfall traps samples compared with our baseline. Assemblages sampled by baited pitfall traps tend to show lower diversity

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bait attractiveness changes community metrics in dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Bach

Mateus

Peres

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Without sufficient providers of this habitat, the abundance and richness of dung beetles will be low (Buse et al., 2021). Dung beetle species richness is positively correlated with mammal biomass (Culot et al., 2013), and high diversity of native mammals enhances the resilience of dung beetle–mammal networks (Chiew et al., 2022), leading to increased abundance, richness and diversity of dung beetles (Amézquita & Favila, 2010; Buse et al., 2021; Nependa et al., 2021). Additionally, the abundance of dung beetles may be related to native burrowing mammals (Lindtner et al., 2019) due to their effects on soil structure and interspecies facilitative or commensal relationships.…”

Section: Restoration Triangle For Dung Beetlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Importance of restoration of dung beetles in the maintenance of ecosystem services

Torabian,

Leffler,

Perkins

2024

Ecol Sol and Evidence

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Dung beetles have key roles in ecosystems including accelerating dung decomposition, improving nutrient cycling and influencing physical (such as structure) and chemical (such as pH and available nutrients) soil properties. Without dung beetles, dung decomposition slows, nutrient cycling is impaired, and water infiltration decreases. Dung beetles face various threats, including climate change, anthropogenic chemicals and habitat degradation. However, there is limited information on the restoration of dung beetles in areas where they have been lost. The restoration framework utilized in this review considers three primary facets: environmental conditions, which encompass crucial abiotic features; biotic characteristics, which involve all other species; and focal species, which denote all native functional groups of species that require reintroduction or re‐establishment. This review aims to examine the ecosystem services provided by dung beetles, highlight the threats they face and conceptualize a restoration framework for these crucial organisms.

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“…Hence, a reduction in the richness of mammalian species in any ecosystem also reduces the abundance and richness of dung beetles (Braga et al 2013; Raine and Slade 2019). Namibian ecosystems have proven to be exceptional in dung beetle richness and abundance, with the highest richness collected in protected areas than on farms (Nependa et al 2021), providing evidence of the negative effects of converting natural habitats into agricultural land (livestock farming) on dung beetle diversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of species diversity, richness, and abundance of dung beetles between wildlife and wildlife-livestock ecosystems of Namibia.

Ndozi,

Gohole

2024

Preprint

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Assessing the species diversity, richness, and abundance of dung beetles in wildlife and wildlife-livestock ecosystems is crucial in understanding the effects of anthropogenic processes on the community structures of dung beetles to improve conservation strategies in Namibia. We tested the hypothesis that the species diversity, richness, and abundance of dung beetles in wildlife ecosystems will be better than in wildlife-livestock ecosystems. Sampling of dung beetles was carried out using baited pitfall traps for a period of 12 months. Linear transects of 1.1 km in length were installed with 12 pitfall traps separated by a distance of 100 m from each other. An independent samples test (P = 0.05) was used to compare the species diversity of dung beetles in two ecosystems. A total of 56,701 individuals were collected from both wildlife and wildlife-livestock ecosystems belonging to 44 species, 25 genera, and 8 tribes. The species diversity of the two ecosystems was similar (H’; t = 1.146, df = 22, P > 0.05). The wildlife ecosystem was more species-rich (n = 43) when compared to the wildlife-livestock ecosystem (n = 35). The species abundance and richness were significantly difference between the two ecosystems (p = < 0.05). A higher Shannon-Wiener Index (H’ = 2.63) was reported in wildlife ecosystems than in wildlife-livestock ecosystems. Different land-use systems have proven to have an impact on species assemblage of dung beetles. We concluded that wildlife ecosystems in Namibia can provide a rich ecological and functional dung beetle community.

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Replacing native mammal assemblages with livestock in African savannahs, impacts dung beetle diversity and reduces body size

Cited by 11 publications

References 57 publications

Bait attractiveness changes community metrics in dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Bait attractiveness changes community metrics in dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Importance of restoration of dung beetles in the maintenance of ecosystem services

Comparison of species diversity, richness, and abundance of dung beetles between wildlife and wildlife-livestock ecosystems of Namibia.

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