Impacts of Exotic Pasture Establishment on Dung Beetle Assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in the Brazilian Cerrado

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1335-1344
Author(s):  
César M A Correa ◽  
Anderson Puker ◽  
Alfredo R Abot
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Roller Beetles

Abstract The Brazilian Cerrado is the second largest Neotropical biome and an important hotspot of biodiversity. However, land use change in this ecosystem is producing landscapes with modified natural environments and anthropogenic environments, such as exotic pastures. In this study, we evaluated how conversion of native Cerrado vegetation to exotic pastures affects the dung beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). We sampled dung beetles in four areas of Cerrado (sensu stricto) and in four areas of exotic pastures (Urochloa spp.) in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. In all, 7,544 individuals from 43 species of dung beetles were collected, and 19 species were found in both the Cerrado and exotic pastures. The abundance and species richness of dung beetles were higher in Cerrado remnants. Species composition differed between Cerrado and exotic pastures, where 11 species were classified as specialists of Cerrado, 10 species were considered specialists of exotic pastures, and 6 species were habitat generalists. Roller beetles were most negatively affected by exotic pasture establishment. We demonstrated that exotic pasture establishment has a negative impact on dung beetle assemblages in Brazilian Cerrado. The decline in abundance and richness of roller beetles has important implications for the understanding of ecosystem functioning because it can reduce the ecological functions performed by dung beetle assemblages in exotic pastures. Finally, the high number of dung beetle species shared between Cerrado and exotic pastures suggests that the Cerrado remnants is a fundamental requirement for the conservation of biodiversity of dung beetles in exotic pastures in the Brazilian Cerrado.

scholarly journals Species composition and community structure of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) compared among savanna and forest formations in the southwestern Brazilian Cerrado

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Jorge Luiz da Silva ◽  
Ricardo José da Silva ◽  
Izaias Médice Fernandes ◽  
Wesley Oliveira de Sousa ◽  
Fernando Zagury Vaz-de-Mello
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Gallery Forest ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Although dung beetles are important members of ecological communities and indicators of ecosystem quality, species diversity, and how it varies over space and habitat types, remains poorly understood in the Brazilian Cerrado. We compared dung beetle communities among plant formations in the Serra Azul State Park (SASP) in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Sampling (by baited pitfall and flight-interception traps) was carried out in 2012 in the Park in four habitat types: two different savanna formations (typical and open) and two forest formations (seasonally deciduous and gallery). A total of 5,400 individuals collected comprised 57 species in 22 genera. Typical savanna had the greatest species richness and abundance, followed by open savanna and deciduous forest, while the gallery forest had the fewest species but high abundance. Tunnelers (one of three main nesting behavior guilds) showed the greatest richness and abundance (except in the gallery forest, where one dweller species was extremely abundant) in all plant formations. We found that species richness and abundance of the dung beetle community are influenced by differences among plant formations. Habitat heterogeneity in the different plant formations along with anthropic influences (fire, habitat fragmentation) are cited as important factors that explain guild and species richness and distribution patterns. These results emphasize the importance of protected areas, such as SASP, for the maintenance and conservation of species diversity in the Brazilian Cerrado.

scholarly journals Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in three landscapes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

2013 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
MM. Rodrigues ◽  
MA. Uchôa ◽  
S. Ide
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Semideciduous Forest ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Agricultural Environment ◽  
Mato Grosso Do Sul

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in three landscapes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Dung Beetles are important for biological control of intestinal worms and dipterans of economic importance to cattle, because they feed and breed in dung, killing parasites inside it. They are also very useful as bioindicators of species diversity in agricultural or natural environments. The aims of this paper were to study the species richness, and abundance of dung beetles, helping to answer the question: are there differences in the patterns of dung beetle diversity in three environments (pasture, agriculture and forest) in the municipality of Dourados, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. A total of 105 samplings were carried out weekly, from November 2005 to November 2007, using three pitfall traps in each environment. The traps were baited with fresh bovine dung, and 44,355 adult dung beetles from 54 species were captured: two from Hyborosidae and 52 from Scarabaeidae. Five species were constant, very abundant and dominant on the pasture, two in the agricultural environment, and two in the environment of Semideciduous forest. Most of the species were characterised as accessories, common and not-dominant. The species with higher abundance was Ataenius platensis Blanchard, 1844. The indexes of Shannon-Wiener diversity were: 2.90 in the pasture, 2.84 in the agricultural environment and 2.66 in the area of native forest. The medium positive presence of dung beetles in the traps in each environment were: 36.88, 42.73 and 20.18 individuals per trap, in the pasture, agricultural environment and in the native forest, respectively. The pasture environment presented a higher diversity index. The species diversity of dung beetles was superior where there was higher abundance and regularity of resource (bovine dung).

scholarly journals Wood Pastures: A Transitional Habitat between Forests and Pastures for Dung Beetle Assemblages

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
László Somay ◽  
Viktor Szigeti ◽  
Gergely Boros ◽  
Réka Ádám ◽  
András Báldi
Keyword(s):  
Functional Group ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Beetle Assemblages

Wood pastures are home to a variety of species, including the dung beetle. Dung beetles are an important functional group in decomposition. Specifically, in terms of livestock manure, they not only contribute to nutrient cycling but are key players in supporting human and animal health. Dung beetles, however, are declining in population, and urgent recommendations are needed to reverse this trend. Recommendations need to be based on solid evidence and specific habitats. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of an intermediate habitat type between forests and pastures. Wood pastures are key areas for dung beetle conservation. For this reason, we compared dung beetle assemblages among forests, wood pastures, and grasslands. We complemented this with studies on the effects of dung type and season at three Hungarian locations. Pitfall traps baited with cattle, sheep, or horse dung were used in forests, wood pastures, and pasture habitats in spring, summer, and autumn. Dung beetle assemblages of wood pastures showed transient characteristics between forests and pastures regarding their abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, assemblage composition, and indicator species. We identified a strong effect of season and a weak of dung type. Assemblage composition proved to be the most sensitive measure of differences among habitats. The conservation of dung beetles, and the decomposition services they provide, need continuous livestock grazing to provide fresh dung, as well as the maintenance of wood pastures where dung beetle assemblages typical of forests and pastures can both survive.

scholarly journals Dung Beetle Assemblages Attracted to Cow and Horse Dung: The Importance of Mouthpart Traits, Body Size, and Nesting Behavior in the Community Assembly Process

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 873
Author(s):  
Mattia Tonelli ◽  
Victoria C. Giménez Gómez ◽  
José R. Verdú ◽  
Fernando Casanoves ◽  
Mario Zunino
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Cow Dung ◽  
Assembly Process ◽  
Small Particles ◽  
Parental Investments ◽  
Trophic Resource ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Species Specific

Dung beetles use excrement for feeding and reproductive purposes. Although they use a range of dung types, there have been several reports of dung beetles showing a preference for certain feces. However, exactly what determines dung preference in dung beetles remains controversial. In the present study, we investigated differences in dung beetle communities attracted to horse or cow dung from a functional diversity standpoint. Specifically, by examining 18 functional traits, we sought to understand if the dung beetle assembly process is mediated by particular traits in different dung types. Species specific dung preferences were recorded for eight species, two of which prefer horse dung and six of which prefer cow dung. Significant differences were found between the functional traits of the mouthparts of the dung beetles attracted to horse dung and those that were attracted to cow dung. Specifically, zygum development and the percentage of the molar area and the conjunctive area differed between horse and cow dung colonizing beetles. We propose that the quantitative differences in the mouthpart traits of the species attracted to horse and cow dung respectively could be related to the differential capacity of the beetles to filtrate and concentrate small particles from the dung. Hence, the dung preference of dung beetles could be related to their ability to exploit a specific dung type, which varies according to their mouthpart traits. Moreover, we found that larger and nester beetles preferred cow dung, whereas smaller and non-nester beetles preferred horse dung. This finding could be related to the tradeoff between fitness and parental investments, and to the suitability of the trophic resource according to the season and species phenology.

scholarly journals Seasonality of vespid species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in a central Brazilian cerrado

2015 ◽  
pp. 109-114
Author(s):  
Ivone Rezende Diniz ◽  
Kinití Kitayama
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Gallery Forest ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Mato Grosso

Foraging habitats as well as the tluctuations in vespid species' abundance in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, were deterrnined,t hrough sampling effon per hour per collector in four cerrado sensu lato habitats," campo úmido" (Cu)," campo sujo" (es), "cerrado sensu stricto" (Css), and "gallery forest" (Mg), during four periods consisting of two dry (August 1988 and June 1989) and two wet (October and December 1988) season periods. For "campo úmido", sorne species seern to be highly seasonal, either in the dry or wet seasons, whereas very few species occur year-round. The abundance, species composition and richness varied between habitats types and between seasons

A new species of Arcyria from the Brazilian Cerrado

Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 344 (3) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
LEANDRO A.N.N. AGRA ◽  
LAISE H. CAVALCANTI ◽  
JOSÉ C. DIANESE
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
The State ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
A New Species

A new Arcyria species designated A. cerradensis was collected in an area covered by Cerrado vegetation at the Brazil-Bolivia frontier in the State of Mato Grosso. The species was herein described and illustrated.

scholarly journals Variation in plant defenses of Didymopanax vinosum (Cham. & Schltdl.) Seem. (Apiaceae) across a vegetation gradient in a Brazilian cerrado

2003 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Patrícia Pais ◽  
Elenice Mouro Varanda
Keyword(s):  
Water Availability ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Compensation Mechanism ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Mature Leaves ◽  
Vegetation Gradient ◽  
Defensive Mechanisms

Cerrado vegetation is composed of a mosaic of vegetation types, from campo sujo, dominated by herbs; campo cerrado and cerrado sensu stricto, with shrubby vegetation; to cerradão, with trees forming a denser forest. This physiognomic mosaic is related to differences in the water availability in the soil. Cerrado plants are considered physically and chemically well defended against herbivores, but there are no studies showing how plants allocate investment to various types of defensive mechanisms in different habitat physiognomies. The defensive mechanisms and the nutritional traits of a cerrado plant, Didymopanax vinosum (Cham. & Schltdl.) Seem. (Apiaceae), were compared along a vegetation gradient. Toughness, as well as water, nitrogen, cellulose, lignin, and tannin contents were measured in young and mature leaves of D. vinosum collected in campo cerrado, cerrado sensu stricto (s.s.) and cerradão. Plants from cerrado s.s. and cerradão were of better nutritional quality but also had higher tannin contents than campo cerrado plants. Some type of compensation mechanism could have been selected to provide an optimum investment in defense, according to limitations imposed by water deficits in the habitat.

Differences in dung beetle activity at western gorilla defecation sites in south-east Cameroon: implications for establishment of Uapaca spp. seedlings

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles-Albert Petre ◽  
Marie-Hélène Zinque ◽  
Nikki Tagg ◽  
Roseline-Claire Beudels-Jamar ◽  
Barbara Haurez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Forest ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Burial Depth ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Sleeping Sites ◽  
Seed Deposition ◽  
The Impact

Abstract:For endozoochorous seed dispersal systems, the extant dung beetle assemblage at seed deposition sites may influence site suitability as burial activity may change the probability that seeds germinate and seedlings establish. This study tested if the different conditions of the two main seed-deposition habitats of a western lowland gorilla population of south-east Cameroon (sleeping sites and old secondary forest) influenced dung beetle assemblages and consequently the seed relocation patterns. In March 2012, in both habitats, burial patterns (proportion and depth) were described in eight stations based on two 300-g experimental faeces with known number of Uapaca spp. seeds (N = 75) left for 48 h, and beetle assemblages were described based on one 48h-dung-baited pitfall trapping session in five of these stations. To assess the impact of burial pattern on seedling emergence, Uapaca seedling emergence trials were performed in a nursery (75 seeds per depth treatment). Assemblage at sleeping sites had a higher species richness (non-significant) and was significantly more abundant than in old secondary forests. Conversely, significantly more seeds were buried in old secondary forests than sleeping sites and at significantly greater depths (mean: 14.9 cm vs. 8.7 cm). As trials suggested that burial depth ≥7 cm prevented Uapaca seedling emergence, dung beetles are assumed to induce seed loss more strongly in old secondary forests than sleeping sites (20.5% vs. 6.7% of initial seed crop). The demonstration that dung beetles may exert a negative influence on seed fate overall, and that the degree to which this occurs may vary depending on habitat, highlights the complexity in determining the suitability of deposition sites for recruitment.

scholarly journals Edge and land use effects on dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in Brazilian cerrado vegetation

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 957-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Martello ◽  
Fernando Andriolli ◽  
Thamyrys Bezerra de Souza ◽  
Pavel Dodonov ◽  
Milton Cezar Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado ◽  
Cerrado Vegetation ◽  
Land Use Effects

scholarly journals Dung beetle assemblages in lowland forests of Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Windra Priawandiputra ◽  
Yamato Tsuji ◽  
Kanthi Arum Widayati ◽  
Bambang Suryobroto
Keyword(s):  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
West Java ◽  
Lowland Forest ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Lowland Forests

Abstract. Priawandiputra W, Tsuji Y, Widayati KA, Suryobroto B. 2020. Dung beetle assemblages in lowland forests of Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 497-504. Dung beetles play crucial role in forest ecosystem, but no information on the dung beetle fauna has been reported in lowland forest of Java Island, Indonesia. Pangandaran Nature Reserve (PNR) area, which is recognized as lowland habitat of wildlife, can also support diversity of dung beetles. This study was conducted to examine the dung beetle diversity in lowland forests of PNR. The dung beetles were collected using pitfall traps baited with five species of mammal’s feces and hand collection of beetles found on dung along the road, between 2016 and 2018. During the study, 853 individuals of dung beetles from 17 species were collected. The dominant species were Onthophagus babirussa with 434 individuals (50.8%). The species were not dominant in the mountainous forests of West Java and in lowland forests of Southeast Sulawesi and East Kalimantan. The highest dung beetle abundances were found during the dry season (August): 335 individuals in 2017 and 286 in 2018. However, the diversity index value of dung beetles in this study was lower in the dry season than in the wet season (t-test of diversity index, P<0.05). The dung beetle assemblages in PNR were barely similar to most dung beetle studies of other regions.

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