Spatial distribution, resource utilisation and intraspecific competition in the dung beetle Aphodius ater

Oecologia ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 116 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 136-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Hirschberger
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Resource Utilisation

Spatial distribution and seed mass variation of Strophostyles helvola along Lake Erie

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (8) ◽  
pp. 1313-1321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Yanful ◽  
M. A. Maun
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Sandy Beaches ◽  
Recurrent Event ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Probability Of Survival ◽  
The Waves

Field studies were conducted to determine the survival, seed-mass variability, and reproductive strategies of wild bean, Strophostyles helvola (L.) Ell., plants on the foredunes at Port Burwell Provincial Park along Lake Erie. In spring, a large number of seedlings were found on the drift-line (area of beach where detritis deposits are cast on shore by the waves) and a small number both on the lakeward (mid-beach) and landward (high-beach) ends of the drift-line. Plants growing on the mid-beach were larger and produced a significantly greater number of heavier seeds than those on the drift-line. However, during late fall and winter months, a large proportion of these seeds were moved by wind and wave action to the drift-line. Intraspecific competition was not a limiting factor on the mid-beach; however, on the drift-line, the number of seeds per plant decreased significantly with an increase in density of plants from about 1 to 140/m2, suggesting that intraspecific competition may be an important limiting factor in seed production per plant. The mean mass per seed significantly declined over the growing season of S. helvola. There was a significant increase in mean seed mass with increasing pod size. Seeds in the centre of a pod were significantly heavier than those at the proximal and distal ends of a pod. Strophostyles helvola is able to flourish in the constantly shifting shoreline beach habitats along Lake Erie owing to two main factors. First, it is able to fully utilize the highly variable beach microhabitats and maintain high total reproductive output per square metre. Second, since burial in sand is a major recurrent event on sandy beaches, the high variability in seed mass will be of adaptive significance because seedlings from large seeds will not only be able to emerge from greater depths of burial in sand but also will have greater probability of survival under burial conditions. Keywords: seed mass, plant location, Strophostyles helvola, seed position, spatial distribution.

Effect of landscape structure on the spatial distribution of Mediterranean dung beetle diversity

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 489-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Numa ◽  
José R. Verdú ◽  
A. Sánchez ◽  
Eduardo Galante
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Dung Beetle

How does the knowledge about the spatial distribution of Iberian dung beetle species accumulate over time?

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 772-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge M. Lobo ◽  
Andrés Baselga ◽  
Joaquín Hortal ◽  
Alberto Jiménez-Valverde ◽  
Jose F. Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Over Time

scholarly journals Effects of Climate Change on the Distribution of Key Native Dung Beetles in South American Grasslands

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2033
Author(s):  
Maria Eduarda Maldaner ◽  
Thadeu Sobral-Souza ◽  
Victor Mateus Prasniewski ◽  
Fernando Z. Vaz-de-Mello
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
South American ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Radical Reduction

Climate change is a serious threat, and it is necessary to prepare for the future climate conditions of grazing areas. Dung beetle species can help mitigate global warming by contributing to intense nutrient cycling and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by cattle farming. Additionally, dung beetles increase soil quality through bioturbation and reduce nematodes and hematophagous flies’ abundance in grasslands areas. There are several dung beetle species inhabiting South American pastures, however, the effects of climate change on their spatial distribution are still unknown. Here, we aimed to predict the potential effects of future climate change on the geographical spatial distribution of the four most important (“key”) pastureland dung beetle species that are native to South America. We used niche-based models and future climate simulations to predict species distribution through time. Our findings show radical reduction in the spatial range of dung beetle species, especially in recently opened areas, e.g., the Amazon region. We suggest that the consequences of these species’ spatial retraction will be correlated with ecosystem services depletion under future climate conditions, urgently necessitating pasture restoration and parasite control, as the introduction of new alien species is not encouraged.

POPULATION MORTALITY AND CYCLICITY AS AFFECTED BY INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION,

1977 ◽  
Vol 109 (6) ◽  
pp. 879-890 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Stinner ◽  
J. W. Jones ◽  
C. Tuttle ◽  
R. E. Caron
Keyword(s):  
Probability Theory ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Heliothis Zea ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Basic Probability ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Population Mortality

AbstractA model for intraspecific competition that incorporates the effects of inter- and intra-stage survival rates, spatial distribution, and variation in growth is developed using basic probability theory. Simulation results for cannibalism in Heliothis zea (Boddie) are presented and intraspecific competition is shown to have effects on population cyclicity and on mortality.

scholarly journals Is Aphodius contaminatus (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) a threatened species in Finland?

1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Tomas Roslin
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Threatened Species ◽  
Dung Beetle

The dung beetle Aphodius contaminatus has been considered extinct in Finland, owing to the decline in the horse stock. In 1995, I found the species to be widespread in Åland, though it showed an aggregated spatial distribution. I suggest that A. contaminatus is not to be considered a critically threatened species in Finland. Neither does it seem to be a specialist on horse dung- the larva is probably a generalist saprophage. The most likely explanation for the apparent extinction of the species is a seasonal bias in the sampling of dung beetle communities.

scholarly journals Distribuição espacial de cupinzeiros epígeos de pastagem no município de Iporá-GO, Brasil

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélida Ferreira da Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Intraspecific Competition ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Dispersion Pattern ◽  
Regular Pattern ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
Termite Mounds ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Made In

Cupins (Isoptera) são insetos sociais que vivem agrupados em cupinzeiros com elevada densidade, o que dificulta a estimativa de parâmetros populacionais, por isso, a abundância de cupins é feita pela contagem de ninhos. O objetivo foi estimar o padrão de distribuição espacial de cupinzeiros epígeos de Cornitermes sp. (Termitidae) de uma pastagem. O estudo foi feito em 1 hectare (ha) de pastagem de Brachiaria sp. em uma propriedade rural em Iporá-GO (16º44’ S e 51º11’ WO). A área foi subdividida em 25 parcelas de 400 m2 e o número de cupinzeiros por parcela foi contado. A distribuição espacial dos cupinzeiros foi estimada inicialmente pelo Índice de Dispersão (I) e pelo Índice de Agrupamento (k). Posteriormente, a frequência observada de cupinzeiros por parcela foi ajustada à distribuição de frequência apropriada ao padrão de dispersão e o grau de aderência foi testado pelo Qui-Quadrado (χ2). Um total de 196 cupinzeiros foi contado, que equivale a 0.02 ninhos por m2. Os índices de dispersão I=0,47 (χ2(24)= 11,40; P=0,99) e de agrupamento (k= -14,93) sugeriram um padrão uniforme. Mas, a distribuição espacial dos cupinzeiros na pastagem foi confirmada pela distribuição de aleatória de Poisson (χ2= 11,06 < χ2(8; α 0,05)= 15,51), conseqüência da ausência de competição intraespecífica. Conclui-se que a homogeneidade estrutural das pastagens é um tipo de ecossistema útil para o estudo de modelos ecológicos e que os cupins são grupos taxonômicos interessantes devido ao fato de que algumas espécies têm facilidade de colonizar ambientes em estágios iniciais de sucessão. Spatial Distribution of Epigean Termite Nests of the Pasture of the Iporá-GO, Brazil Abstract. Termites (Isoptera) are social insects that live in termite mounds grouped with a high density, making it difficult to estimate of the population parameters, therefore, the abundance of termites is calculate by counting the nests. The objective was to estimate the spatial distribution pattern of epigean termite nests of Cornitermes sp. (Termitidae) from a pasture. The study was made in 1 hectare (ha) of Brachiaria sp. pasture on a farm in Iporá-GO (16 º 44 'S and 51 º 11' WO). The area was subdivided into 25 plots of 400m2 and the termite nests per plot were counted. Initially, the spatial distribution of nests estimated by the Index of Dispersion (I) and by the Index of Clustering (k). Subsequently, the observed frequency of termite nests per plot was fit to the appropriate frequency distribution to dispersion pattern and goodness-of-fit was tested by Chi-Square (χ2). A total of 196 termite nests were counted, which equals to 0.02 nests per m2. The indexes of dispersion I=0.47 (χ2(24)= 11.40; P=0.99) and of clustering (k= -14.93) suggested a regular pattern. But the spatial distribution of the nests in the pasture was confirmed by random Poisson distribution (χ2= 11.06 < χ2(8; α 0.05)= 15.51), consequence of the absence of intraspecific competition. It is concluded that the structural homogeneity of pasture is a useful ecosystem for the study of ecological models and termites are interesting taxonomic group because some species are easy to colonize environments in early succession.

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