02981nas a2200337   4500008004100000245010700041210006900148260000800217300001200225490000700237520204300244653001602287653001802303653001502321653001702336653002102353653001202374653002402386653002202410653001502432653001502447653001702462653001402479653001702493653002102510653001902531100002002550700002502570700001402595856003402609       2002                        eng d00aThe verification and application of bioindicators: a case study of dung beetles in a savanna ecosystem0 averification and application of bioindicators a case study of du  cAug  a661-6720 v393 a1.Bioindicators of habitat quality and environmental change must be identified quantitatively and tested independently to confirm their usefulness. We used the indicator value (IndVal ) method, which combines measures of habitat fidelity and specificity, to assess the indicator responses of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa. The indicator responses were verified by sampling in different areas of the Park, 2 years after the responses were originally quantified. 2. We postulated that terrestrial insect indicators with different combinations of habitat specificity and fidelity might fulfil different indicator roles. Indicator species with strong habitat specificity (characteristic species) are unlikely to provide information on the direction of ecological change despite high vulnerability. Rather, detector species that span a range of ecological states are likely to be better in this role. We used IndVal for selecting such detector species that indicate the direction of ecological change. 3. Sets of species were found to be robust bioindicators, i.e. reliably characteristic across the habitat of which they were indicative. The suite of indicators was refined by discarding those with IndVal s that varied significantly across years, thus improving the confidence in the final suite of species selected. By clearly responding to a change in habitat between two ecological states, detector species provided information complementary to that provided by characteristic species. 4. The IndVal method enabled both the identification and testing of indicator (characteristic and detector) species. Because of its resilience to changes in abundance, IndVal is a particularly effective tool for ecological bioindication. 5. We conclude that both characteristic and detector species are useful bioindicators of habitat quality and conversion. We propose that bioindicators that are categorized and verified in this way will have valuable application in the monitoring of habitat integrity.10aassemblages10abioindication10aCOLEOPTERA10aconservation10adetector species10ahabitat10ahabitat specificity10aindicator species10aindicators10arange size10aScarabaeidae10aSELECTION10asouth-africa10aspecies richness10atransformation1 aMcGeoch, M., A.1 aVan Rensburg, B., J.1 aBotes, A.  u<Go to ISI>://00017725500001101632nas a2200181   4500008004100000245010400041210006900145260000800214300001200222490000700234520106900241653001701310100002501327700002001352700001801372700002601390856003401416       1999                        eng d00aConservation of heterogeneity among dung beetles in the Maputaland Centre of Endemism, South Africa0 aConservation of heterogeneity among dung beetles in the Maputala  cMay  a145-1530 v883 aIn southern Africa the Maputaland Centre is one of the most significant, though less well-known, centres of biotic endemism. Here we examine variation in dung beetle assemblages between habitats and between reserves on two Maputaland reserves (Tembe Elephant Park and Sileza Nature Reserve). Dung beetle assemblages were found to be homogeneous within habitat types and within reserves, but assemblages differed between habitat types (Sand Forest and Mixed Woodland). There was, however, significant between-reserve heterogeneity in dung beetle assemblages for each particular habitat type. Given that there are significant differences in both dung beetles and plants, it is clear that these forests must be conserved in both Tembe and Sileza, especially because of increasing damage by elephants to Sand Forests in Tembe. We identify dung beetle indicator species that are specific to each habitat type in each reserve, and detector species that can be used to monitor changes in Sand Forests in those reserves. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.10aDung beetles1 aVan Rensburg, B., J.1 aMcGeoch, M., A.1 aChown, S., L.1 aVan Jaarsveld, A., S.  u<Go to ISI>://000078342900001