BARLOW, J.

BERENGUER, E.

FERREIRA, J.

GARDNER, T.

LOUZADA, J.

OLIVEIRA, V. H. F.

SOLAR, R.

Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from Embrapa

ATBC 2012 49th Annual Meeting Bonito-MS, Brasil     FS12.OC.02   Decreasing dung beetle diversity with changes in forest structure and diversity  Oliveira VHF1, Solar R2, Berenguer E3, Louzada J1, Barlow J3, Ferreira J4, Gardner T5 - 1Universidade Federal de Lavras - Setor de Ecologia, 2Universidade Federal de Viçosa - Departamento de Entomologia, 3Lancaster University - Lancaster Environment Centre, 4EMBRAPA - Amazônia Oriental, 5Lancaster University / Cambridge University - Lancaster Environment Centre / Conservation Science Group  Human-induced changes in forest structure normally result in a reduction of species diversity. Dung beetles have been proposed as effective indicators of habitat change, and play important roles in ecosystem functioning of tropical forests. Here we analysed relationships between dung beetle richness and abundance with several measures of forest structure and composition, including canopy openness, leaf-litter mass and tree richness. We sampled 135 forested transects (300m) in Eastern Brazilian Amazon, encompassing a large gradient of forest degradation – from undisturbed, burnt and logged primary forests to recurrently degraded secondary forests. Trees, lianas and palms were measured and identified in a plot of 250x10m in each transect. Dung beetles were sampled with nine baited pitfall traps per transect. Hemispheric photographs were taken to access canopy cover, and 50cm quadrat samples of litter were taken to estimate litter mass. Data were analysed using dung beetles species richness and abundance as response variables and tree species richness and abundance, canopy openness and litter mass as explanatory variables. Positive and significant relationships were found between dung beetle species richness and both tree species richness and litter mass. Both plant species and litter accumulation can represent good proxies of habitat heterogeneity for dung beetles. Higher tree diversity, as well as larger deposits of leaf litter, may offer a greater variety of niche habitats and resource diversity (including rotten fruits and fungi, as well as microhabitat variation generated by litter accumulation for nesting and feeding conditions), and are characteristics often related with less disturbed areas of forest. The close association found between dung beetles and changes in forest structure and composition demonstrates that forest degradation can have profound impacts on the diversity of these ecologically important insects. 288

Decreasing dung beetle diversity with changes in forest structure and diversity.

http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/bitstream/doc/959192/1/FS12OC02.pdf

Decreasing dung beetle diversity with changes in forest structure and diversity.

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from Embrapa