TY - JOUR T1 - Co-declines in large mammals and dung beetles: an impending ecological cascade JF - Oikos Y1 - 2009 A1 - Nichols, E. A1 - Gardner, T. A. A1 - Peres, C. A. A1 - Spector, S. SP - 481 EP - 487 KW - co-decline KW - conservation KW - decline KW - extinction KW - mammal KW - resource AB - Biodiversity loss can precipitate extinction cascades and impair ecological processes. These ‘downstream’ effects will be exacerbated if functionally important taxa are tightly linked with species threatened by extinction or population decline. We review the current evidence that such a scenario is currently playing out in the linked declines of persistently hunted
mammal populations and the dung beetles communities (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) that depend on them for adult and larval food resources. Through a close evolutionary association, mammal assemblages have played a fundamental role in structuring extant dung beetle communities. Today many game mammal species’ populations are severely depleted by subsistence or commercial hunting, especially in tropical forest systems. Multiple lines of evidence from temperate and tropical systems indicate that the regional-scale decline or extirpation of medium and large bodied mammal faunas can severely disrupt the diversity and abundance of dung beetle communities through alterations in the composition and availability of dung resources. These observed community disassemblies have significant short- and long-term implications for the maintenance of key ecosystem processes including nutrient recycling and secondary seed dispersal. Identifying the species- and community-level traits that buffer or exacerbate these species and functional responses is essential if we are to develop a better understanding of the cascading ecological consequences of hunting in tropical forests. VL - 118 IS - 4 N1 - [gmap markers=blank::40.782003745886755,-73.97163391113281 |zoom=15 |center=40.78531820515752,-73.9749813079834 |width=100% |height=400px |control=Small |type=Satellite] ER - TY - Generic T1 - Indicator taxa for biodiversity monitoring and assessment: A reality check using dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) Y1 - Submitted A1 - Forsyth, A. A1 - Spector, S. ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Dung beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) of Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado T2 - A Biological Assessment of Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, Bolivia Y1 - 1998 A1 - Forsyth, A. A1 - Spector, S. ED - Killeen, J. ED - Shulenburg, T. KW - Dung beetles JF - A Biological Assessment of Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, Bolivia PB - RAP Working Papers 10, Conservation International CY - Washington DC ER - TY - CHAP T1 - The dung beetle (Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae) assemblages of the Cordillera del Condor, Amazonas Province, Peru T2 - The Cordillera Working Papers 7 Y1 - 1997 A1 - Forsyth, A. , A1 - Spector, S. A1 - Gill, B. A1 - B. Gill, 1997. . In, Thomas Schulenburg A1 - Kim Awbrey (Eds. ). The Cordillera Working Papers 7, A1 - Conservation International, Washington, D. C. ED - Schulenburg, T. ED - Awbrey, K. KW - Dung beetles JF - The Cordillera Working Papers 7 PB - Conservation International CY - Washington DC ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Global dung beetle response to tropical forest modification and fragmentation: A quantitative literature review and meta-analysis JF - Biological Conservation Y1 - 2007 A1 - Nichols, E. A1 - Larsen, T. A1 - Spector, S. A1 - Davis, A. L. A1 - Escobar, F. A1 - Favila, M. A1 - Vulinec, K. SP - 1 EP - 19 KW - Agroforestry KW - community ecology KW - deforestation KW - Invertebrate KW - Land-use change KW - Scarabaeinae AB - Although insects are crucial for maintaining ecosystem function, our understanding of their overall response to human activity remains limited. This is no less true of dung-burying beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), which provide a suite of critical ecosystem functions and services, yet but face multiple conservation threats, particularly from landscape conversion. Here we use a review and meta-analysis to synthesize the current knowledge concerning response to tropical forest modification and fragmentation of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). For every modified habitat type and individual forest fragment across 33 studies, we calculated six dung beetle community parameters, standardized relative to intact tropical forest. We organized modified habitats along an approximate disturbance gradient ranging from selectively logged, late and early secondary forest, through agroforestry, tree plantations, to annual crops, cattle pastures and clear-cuts. Secondary forests, selectively logged forest and agroforests supported rich communities with many intact forest species, while cattle pastures and clear-cuts contained fewer species overall with few forest-dwelling species. Abundance generally declined with increasing modification, but was quite variable. Communities in open habitats were often characterized by hyper-abundance of a small number of small-bodied species, leading to low evenness. Across fragmentation studies, dung beetle species richness, abundance and evenness declined in smaller forest fragments. Richness and abundance sometimes declined in more isolated fragments, although this response appeared to depend on matrix quality. Across both habitat modification and fragmentation studies, geographic location and landscape context appeared to modify dung beetle response by influencing the available pool of colonists. We discuss potential underlying mechanisms and conclude with recommendations for management and conservation and for future research. VL - 137 UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V5X-4ND710H-1/2/3d7a5f4362824647199ebdfd5821fa14 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Ecological functions and ecosystem services of Scarabaeine dung beetles: a review JF - Biological Conservation Y1 - 2008 A1 - Nichols, E. A1 - Spector, S. A1 - Louzada, J A1 - Larsen, T. A1 - Amezquita, S A1 - Favila, M. A1 - The Scarabaeinae Reaearch Network SP - 1461 EP - 1474 KW - dung beetle KW - ecological economics KW - ecosystem function KW - ecosystem service KW - human health VL - 141 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Biogeographic crossroads as priority areas for biodiversity conservation JF - Conservation Biology Y1 - 2002 A1 - Spector, S. SP - 1480 EP - 1487 KW - assemblages KW - complementary areas KW - congruence KW - diversity KW - forest KW - hotspots KW - patterns KW - species richness KW - strategies KW - tiger beetles AB - Threats to biodiversity outpace the resources of the conservation community and necessitate careful prioritization of conservation actions. I suggest that targeting the regions where biogeographic assemblages intersect - " biogeographic crossroads" - is a strategy that may achieve significant conservation economy by focusing on areas that satisfy many conservation criteria. I used a combination of data on Scarabaeine beetles in Bolivia and on other taxa and locations from the literature to consider the short- and long-term benefits of conserving these biogeographic crossroads. Biogeographic crossroads are areas of high species richness and beta diversity, often across many taxonomic groups. They are also regions where representativeness can be achieved with relative efficiency. Recent evidence that ecotones may be loci of evolution suggests that evolutionary processes such as speciation and coevolution may be conserved at biogeographic crossroads. Biogeographic crossroads appear to be areas of high conservation priority and opportunity in both the short and long term and require increased attention in the process of setting conservation priorities. VL - 16 UR - ://000179420100009 N1 - Times Cited: 0Cited Reference Count: 61Cited References: BALMFORD A, 1995, CONSERV BIOL, V9, P1539 BATES JM, 1998, BIOL ASSESSMENT PARQ, P112 BROOKS DR, 1992, TRENDS ECOL EVOL, V7, P55 BROOKS T, 2000, NATURE, V403, P26 BROWN JH, 1984, AM NAT, V124, P255 BROWN JH, 1995, MACROECOLOGY CHANNELL R, 2000, NATURE, V403, P84 DALLMEIER F, 1996, MANU DIVERSITY SE PE, P61 DAVIS FW, 1996, BIOSCIENCE, V46, P74 DINERSTEIN E, 1995, CONSERVATION ASSESSM EDMONDS WD, 1994, REVISION PHANAEUS MA EDMONDS WD, 1972, U KANSAS SCI B, V49, P731 EMMONS LH, 1998, BIOL ASSESSMENT PARQ, P129 ENSERINK M, 1997, SCIENCE, V276, P1791 ERWIN TL, 1996, MANU BIODIVERSITY SE, P359 ERWIN TL, 1991, SCIENCE, V253, P750 FELGER RS, 1994, BIODIVERSITY MANAGEM, P36 FJELDSA J, 1997, TROPICAL FOREST REMN, P466 FOREMAN D, 2000, WILD EARTH SPR, P11 FORSYTH AB, 1998, BIOL ASSESSMENT PARQ, P181 FREITAG S, 1997, BIOL CONSERV, V82, P263 HALFFTER G, 1993, BIOL INT, V27, P15 HANSKI I, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY HARVEY MB, 1998, BIOL ASSESSMENT PARQ, P144 HOLDRIDGE LR, 1967, LIFE ZONE ECOLOGY JOHNSON N, 1995, BIODIVERSITY BALANCE KERR JT, 1997, CONSERV BIOL, V11, P1094 KILLEEN TJ, 1998, BIOL ASSESSMENT PARQ, P61 KITCHING IJ, 1996, BIODIVERS CONSERV, V5, P841 KREMEN C, 1993, CONSERV BIOL, V7, P796 LOMOLINO MV, 1998, CONSERV BIOL, V12, P481 LOMOLINO MV, 1995, J MAMMAL, V76, P335 MARGULES CR, 2000, NATURE, V405, P243 MAYR E, 1963, ANIMAL SPECIES EVOLU MCKENZIE NL, 1989, BIOL CONSERV, V50, P231 MITTERMEIER RA, 1998, CONSERV BIOL, V12, P516 MYERS N, 2000, NATURE, V403, P853 OLIVER I, 1998, CONSERV BIOL, V12, P822 OLSON DM, 1998, CONSERV BIOL, V12, P502 PEARSON DL, 1992, CONSERV BIOL, V6, P376 PEARSON DL, 1999, J BIOGEOGR, V26, P1079 POGUE MG, 1996, MANU BIODIVERSITY SE, P313 PRENDERGAST JR, 1999, CONSERV BIOL, V13, P484 PRENDERGAST JR, 1997, ECOGRAPHY, V20, P210 PRENDERGAST JR, 1993, NATURE, V365, P335 PRESSEY RL, 1993, TRENDS ECOL EVOL, V8, P124 REID WV, 1998, TRENDS ECOL EVOL, V13, P275 REMSEN V, 1995, BIRD CONSERV INT, V5, P181 RICKETTS TH, 1999, BIOSCIENCE, V49, P369 RODRIGUES ASL, 1999, P ROY SOC LOND B BIO, V266, P1453 ROTHLEY KD, 1999, ECOL APPL, V9, P741 SARMIENTO J, 1998, BIOL ASSESSMENT PARQ, P167 SCHNEIDER CJ, 1999, P NATL ACAD SCI USA, V96, P13869 SMITH TB, 1997, SCIENCE, V276, P1855 SPECTOR S, 1998, CONSERVATION CHANGIN, P181 VANEWRIGHT RI, 1991, BIOL CONSERV, V55, P235 WARSHALL P, 1994, BIODIVERSITY MANAGEM, P408 WHITTAKER RH, 1972, TAXON, V21, P213 WIKRAMANAYAKE E, 1998, BIODIVERSITY ASSESSM WILLIAMS P, 1996, CONSERV BIOL, V10, P155 WILLIAMS PH, 1996, BIOL J LINN SOC, V58, P125EnglishArticle618LTCONSERV BIOL ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Scarabaeine Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): An Invertebrate Focal Taxon for Biodiversity Research and Conservation JF - The Coleopterists Bulletin Y1 - 2006 A1 - Spector, S. SP - 71 EP - 83 VL - 5 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Rapid turnover and edge effects in dung beetle assemblages (Scarabaeidae) at a Bolivian Neotropical forest-savanna ecotone JF - Biotropica Y1 - 2003 A1 - Spector, S. A1 - Ayzama, S. SP - 394 EP - 404 KW - beta diversity KW - Bolivia KW - boundaries KW - Central Amazonia KW - COLEOPTERA KW - communities KW - conservation KW - Dung beetles KW - dynamics KW - ecotone KW - edge KW - fragmented forests KW - gradients KW - patterns KW - responses KW - savanna KW - tropical forest AB - Habitat fragmentation and the widespread creation of habitat edges have recently stimulated interest in assessing the effects of ecotones on biodiversity. Ecotones, natural or anthropogenic, can greatly affect faunal movement, population dynamics, species interactions, and community structure. Few data exist, however, on insect community response to forest- savanna ecotones, a natural analog to anthropogenically cleared areas adjacent to forest. In this study, the abundance, total biomass, average individual biomass, and distribution of scarabaeine dung beetles were examined at a sharp tropical evergreen forest-savanna ecotone in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The abundance, total biomass, and average individual biomass of dung beetles varied significantly across the forest, edge, and savanna habitats. Species richness (S-obs) also varied significantly across the three habitats, but statistical estimations of true species richness (S-est) did not. Habitat specificity of the dung beetles in this study was extremely high. Of the 50 most common species collected during the study, only 2 species were collected in both the forest and savanna habitats, signaling nearly complete community turnover in just a few meters. Strong edge effects were evidenced by the decline in abundance, total biomass, and species richness at the forest-savanna boundary. VL - 35 UR - ://000186644700009 N1 - 744QYBIOTROPICA ER - TY - CHAP T1 - Indicator taxa in the vanishing tropics T2 - Conservation in a changing world Y1 - 1998 A1 - Spector, S. A1 - Forsyth, A. B. ED - Balmford, A. ED - Mace, G. SP - 181 EP - 210 KW - forest change biodiversity dung beetles JF - Conservation in a changing world PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER -