Dung beetles as indicators of change in the forests of northern Borneo

Abstract

Summary 1.We reviewed the use of dung beetles as indicators of environmental change, highlighting the influence of natural forest dynamics on species distributions in primary forest and suggesting new ways in which this can be used to understand and interpret the effects of disturbance such as logging. These ideas were applied to rainforest dung beetle communities in Sabah, Malaysia . 2. Dung beetle samples, using baited pitfall and flight intercept traps, were examined from primary, logged and plantation forests. Cluster analysis on dung beetle assemblages from primary forest samples showed clear species associations that had a high degree of fidelity to a particular biotope or vegetation type. Beetles were grouped into riverine-edge, riverine, interior-primary and 'even' (equitable distribution between biotopes) associations. Although biotope-specific associations were spatially separate in primary forest, these associations overlapped at forest margins (riverine forest) and in logged forest (to form 'composite assemblages'). 3. Species associations showed different responses to disturbance: the riverine association included many species that showed a positive response to at least some types of disturbance, whereas others were neutral or negative in response; the even association species were mostly neutral; the primary forest associations were almost entirely negative in response. 4. The greatest faunal similarities were found between logged forest and riverine assemblages. Diversity was lower in logged compared with primary forest, and the lowest species richness and diversity were recorded in plantation forest. Small-scale species richness in logged forest was generally higher than in individual transects from primary forest due to the presence of overlapping species ranges (composite assemblages) that were usually spatially separate in primary forest. Data suggested that increased species richness at a fine scale does not necessarily mean that species richness is greater at a larger scale, and that species mixing in derived ecosystems is dependent on the type of disturbance. Forest management should aim to minimize the mixing of the components of different biotopes, by implementing low impact (i.e. reduced-impact logging) harvesting techniques.

A support vector machine approach to identification of proteins relevant to learning in a mouse model of Down Syndrome

“…In Borneo, this species has declined in concert with the loss of primary forests (Davis, 2001). Catharsius molossus prefers the dung of large herbivores, constructing a brood burrow near fresh dung at night.…”

Besouros Escarabeíneos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Da Caatinga Paraibana, Brasil

“…Outra característica importante é que as espécies de escarabeíneos apresentam padrões distintos de organização quando estudadas em fragmentos de florestas ou em áreas deterioradas pela ação humana e vêm sendo utilizadas com sucesso como indicadores de mudanças ambientais, sendo Scarabaeinae considerado um ótimo grupo focal para estudos ecológicos (Howden & nealis 1975, Janzen 1983, Klein 1989, Halffter et al 1992, Halffter & Favila 1993, Lobo & Martín-Piera 1999, davis et al 2001, Hernández 2003, nichols et al 2007.…”

Composition and Distribution Patterns of Species at a Global Biogeographic Region Scale: Biogeography of Aphodiini Dung Beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) Based on Species Geographic and Taxonomic Data

“…Studies on dung beetle communities carried out in the Oriental region frequently omit results for Aphodiini or show that they represent a small proportion of local Scarabaeidae richness (c. 4-10% of species; A.J. Davis, 2000;A.J. Davis et al, 2001;Hanski & Krikken, 1991;Shahabuddin et al, 2005).…”