Is dung removal a good proxy for other dung beetle functions when monitoring for conservation? A case study from the Brazilian Amazon

Carvalho, Raquel L.; Barônio, Gudryan Jackson; Oliveira, Victor Hugo Fonseca; Louzada, Júlio; Braga, Rodrigo Fagundes

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105841

Cited by 28 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…The lack of influence of pre-El Niño forest disturbance on beetlemediated processes is consistent with previous studies showing the disturbance resilience of invertebrate-mediated processes in tropical forests França et al, 2018) and confirms that community and functional attributes may be asymmetrically affected by human activities in tropical forests (Braga et al, 2013;Carvalho et al, 2020;França et al, 2018). However, forest structure is known to be a key determinant of insect communities (Basset, Charles, Hammond, & Brown, 2001), and there is presumably a threshold at which point changes in forest structure are so great that invertebrate communities and mediated processes are also affected (e.g., França, Frazão, Korasaki, Louzada, & Barlow, 2017).…”

Section: Exploring the Resilience Of Dung Beetlemediated Processessupporting

confidence: 90%

El Niño impacts on human‐modified tropical forests: Consequences for dung beetle diversity and associated ecological processes

et al. 2020

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Our knowledge of how tropical forest biodiversity and functioning respond to anthropogenic and climate‐associated stressors is limited. Research exploring El Niño impacts are scarce or based on single post‐disturbance assessments, and few studies assess forests previously affected by anthropogenic disturbance. Focusing on dung beetles and associated ecological functions, we assessed (a) the ecological effects of a strong El Niño, (b) if post‐El Niño beetle responses were influenced by previous forest disturbance, and (c) how these responses compare between forests impacted only by drought and those affected by both drought and fires. We sampled 30 Amazonian forest plots distributed across a gradient of human disturbance in 2010, 2016, and 2017—approximately 5 years before, and 3–6 and 15–18 months after the 2015–16 El Niño. We found 14,451 beetles from 98 species and quantified the beetle‐mediated dispersal of >8,600 seed mimics and the removal of c. 30 kg of dung. All dung beetle responses (species richness, abundance, biomass, compositional similarity to pre‐El Niño condition, and rates of dung removal and seed dispersal) declined after the 2015–16 El Niño, but the greatest immediate losses (i.e., in 2016) were observed within fire‐affected forests. Previous forest disturbance also influenced post‐El Niño dung beetle species richness, abundance, and species composition. We demonstrate that dung beetles and their ecological functions are negatively affected by climate‐associated disturbances in human‐modified Amazonian forests and suggest that the interaction between local anthropogenic and climate‐related stressors merits further investigation. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

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Section: Exploring the Resilience Of Dung Beetlemediated Processessupporting

confidence: 90%

El Niño impacts on human‐modified tropical forests: Consequences for dung beetle diversity and associated ecological processes

et al. 2020

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“…mammals and birds) and often results in density‐dependent diaspore escape and decreased seedling mortality away from the parental plant (Vander Wall and Longland ). The second stage of dispersal is promoted by other dispersers including ants, dung beetles, crickets or even vertebrates (Santana et al , Braga et al , Griffiths et al , Carvalho et al ), and occurs after diaspores have fallen to the ground as a result of fruit manipulation by vertebrate dispersers or simply by natural fall (Christianini and Oliveira ). The second stage usually results in subtle movement that beget in diaspore escape from predation and the direct deposition of diaspores in microsites favorable for germination and establishment (Vander Wall and Longland ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ants as diaspore removers of non‐myrmecochorous plants: a meta‐analysis

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Leal

Jordano

et al. 2020

Oikos

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Diaspore (e.g. seeds, fruits) dispersal is pivotal for plant communities and often involves several steps and different dispersing agents. Most studies focusing on diaspore dispersal by animals have highlighted the role of vertebrates, neglecting the role of ants in the diaspore dispersal of non‐myrmecochorous plants. Diaspore dispersal by ants is especially relevant in the current scenario of declining of vertebrate populations and, consequently, collapse of the dispersal system of large‐seeded plants. Although ants can never compensate for the dispersal service provided by vertebrates, they can mitigate the impact of vertebrate decline via removal of diaspores deposited on the ground. We have used a meta‐analytical approach to investigate the contribution of ants in the removal of non‐myrmecochorous diaspores (through vertebrate exclusion experiments). We considered the number of diaspore removal as effect size and factors such as plant growth forms, diaspore and ant size, habitat type as moderators. In addition, we investigated the role of such factors on the diaspore removal distance by ants. Ants played complementary role to non‐myrmecochorous diaspore removal services provided by vertebrates (mean Hedges’ g of −0.30). The ant diaspore removal was 69% higher for diaspores from shrubs than that of tree diaspores and removal of small‐sized diaspores were 69% and 70% higher in comparison to medium‐ and large‐sized diaspores, respectively. Regarding the diaspore removal distance by ants, those of tree species were removed 32% farther than those of shrub species, and diaspores were removed three‐ times farther in the savanna than in rainforest ecosystems. Our results highlight the shrubs and small‐sized diaspores. Regarding the diaspore removal distance, the ants can be crucial for the dispersal of tree diaspores and in the savanna ecosystems. Finally, considering the biodiversity crisis, the ants may play an even more important role than appreciated in diaspores dispersal.

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“…They play key roles in nutrient cycling (Men endez et al 2016), secondary seed dispersal (Andresen & Feer 2005), bioturbation, and the control of pests and intestinal parasites (Nichols et al 2008). Dung beetles show high sensitivity to habitat disturbance and so are often used as ecological indicators in land management (Gardner et al 2008;Carvalho et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dung beetles of an Australian tropical savanna: Species composition, food preferences and responses to experimental fire regimes

et al. 2020

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Dung beetles are an ecologically important group of insects globally, but the ecology of the Australian fauna is poorly known. Here, we report on the first ecological study of dung beetles in an Australian tropical savanna, documenting species composition, food preferences and responses to fire. Dung beetles were baited using dung from five types of vertebrates as well as mushrooms. We sampled at nine plots subject to experimental fire regimes (three replicates each of high fire severity, moderate fire severity and unburnt over 15 years) at the Territory Wildlife Park near Darwin. Our samples were comprised entirely of nine native species of Onthophagus. Dog dung was the most attractive bait, recording all nine species and nearly 80% of all individuals, whereas no beetles were recorded at either wallaby or magpie-goose dung. Dung beetle abundance was highest under high fire severity and was negatively correlated with the cover of woody vegetation, a result driven by the two most common species, O. minsiculus and O. nr. quadripunctulatus. Our results indicate that Onthophagus is the dominant genus in dung-beetle assemblages of monsoonal Australia, as it is in open habitats of the Australian wet tropics. All our species of Onthophagus are relatively small (≤10 mm body length) and are 'tunnellers', storing dung and other food resources in tunnels dug immediately below the food source. Such an overwhelming dominance by small tunnellers does not occur in African savannas, reflecting the far lower availability of large mammalian dung in Australia.

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Is dung removal a good proxy for other dung beetle functions when monitoring for conservation? A case study from the Brazilian Amazon

Cited by 28 publications

References 43 publications

El Niño impacts on human‐modified tropical forests: Consequences for dung beetle diversity and associated ecological processes

El Niño impacts on human‐modified tropical forests: Consequences for dung beetle diversity and associated ecological processes

Ants as diaspore removers of non‐myrmecochorous plants: a meta‐analysis

Dung beetles of an Australian tropical savanna: Species composition, food preferences and responses to experimental fire regimes

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