03860nas a2200181   4500008004100000245014700041210006900188260000800257300001200265490000700277520325900284653001703543100002103560700002203581700002003603700002003623856003503643       2002                        eng d00aIncreasing representation of localized dung beetles across a chronosequence of regenerating vegetation and natural dune forest in South Africa0 aIncreasing representation of localized dung beetles across a chr  cMay  a191-2090 v113 aAim Species assemblages with high proportions of localized taxa occur in regional islands with a history of strong eco-climatic separation from adjacent systems. Current disturbance in such islands of relictualism or endemism disrupts the distinctive local character in favour of regionally distributed taxa with a wider range of tolerances. However, rehabilitation of the system should restore the localized biota. Thus, we used biogeographical composition to assess progress towards restoration of the dung beetle fauna associated with such an island of endemism following dredge-mining. Location The study was conducted in natural coastal dune forest and a 23-year chronosequence of regenerating dune vegetation in the Maputaland centre of endemism, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods Dung beetles were trapped in eight stands of regenerating vegetation of different ages (<1 year to -21 years) and in four stands of natural dune forest with differing ecological characteristics defined by measurements of vegetative physiognomy and microclimate. Species groups defined from multivariate analysis of biogeographical distribution patterns and vegetation associations were used to demonstrate quantitative compositional changes in the dung beetle assemblages across the chronosequence to natural forest. Results Three biogeographical groups were defined. One group comprised species widespread in southern Africa or both southern and east Africa. The other two groups were endemic, one to the east coast and the other to Maputaland. There was a general trend from dominance by regionally distributed dung beetle taxa to dominance by locally distributed taxa across the chronosequence of regenerating vegetation from grassland, to open Acacia karroo thicket, to dense A. karroo-dominated woodland. However, this trend was linked closely to the relative physiognomic and microclimatic similarity between the regenerating vegetation and natural forest. Thus, proportions of locally distributed taxa were lower in older chronosequence woodland (&SIM;18-&SIM;21 years) with its low canopy cover and open understorey than in dense early chronosequence woodland (&SIM;9-&SIM;12 years), which is physiognomically and microclimatically closer to species-diverse natural forest with its dense canopy and understorey. Overall, the present dung beetle community comprises five species groups. Single widespread (21 spp.) and endemic groups (14 spp.) showed similar patterns of association with early chronosequence grassland and open thicket stands. A single widespread (3 spp.) and two endemic shade-associated groups (3 and 11 spp.) showed differing patterns of association centred, respectively, in late chronosequence woodland, natural forest, or all shaded stands. Main conclusions At 23 years, vegetative regeneration is still at an early stage, but abundant activity of most, although not all species recorded in natural forest, is recovered with the closure of the woodland canopy at &SIM;9 years. Compositional differences with respect to natural forest vary closely with vegetative physiognomy and its effect on the microclimate. Therefore, full compositional recovery is dependent on the re-establishment of natural forest physiognomy and microclimate.10aDung beetles1 aDavis, A., L. V.1 aVan Aarde, R., J.1 aScholtz, C., H.1 aDelport, J., H.  u<Go to ISI>://000175839600002 00640nas a2200157   4500008004100000245011700041210006900158300001000227490000700237653001700244100002100261700002200282700002000304700002000324856013800344       2003                        eng d00aConvergence between dung beetle assemblages of a post-mining vegetational chronosequence and unmined dune forest0 aConvergence between dung beetle assemblages of a postmining vege  a29-420 v1110aDung beetles1 aDavis, A., L. V.1 aVan Aarde, R., J.1 aScholtz, C., H.1 aDelport, J., H.  uhttps://scarabnet.myspecies.info/convergence-between-dung-beetle-assemblages-post-mining-vegetational-chronosequence-and-unmined-dune02758nas a2200361   4500008004100000245006400041210006400105260000800169300001200177490000700189520177800196653001601974653002501990653002702015653001602042653000802058653001302066653002702079653002702106653001102133653003302144653001502177653001702192653001702209653001702226653002102243653001502264100002202279700002202301700001702323700002102340856003502361       2005                        eng d00aCommunity convergence in disturbed subtropical dune forests0 aCommunity convergence in disturbed subtropical dune forests  cMar  a655-6660 v863 aDo communities return to their former state when we disturb them? The answer is "surely not always," since some disturbances may be so devastating that recovery will be impossible. If communities do recover, then how fast is that recovery? Do different subsets of species return at the same rate? Is that rate a simple exponential recovery-meaning that the change toward the original state is fastest when the community is furthest away and it slows as the community converges? Or is recovery a more dynamically complex process? These questions are theoretically interesting and practically important. The theoretical questions are if there is a particular state-some exact composition-to which a community is likely to return, if there might be several (or many) possible such states, or if community composition is essentially haphazard. The practical implication is that if disturbed ecological communities do not tend to return to a previous state, it may be impossible to undo human impacts on natural ecosystems. We follow the fate of species assemblages following the removal of vegetation for mining. We chow that these assemblages in restored subtropical coastal dune forests in South Africa do converge with a regional equilibrium state and that convergence is possible within a reasonable period. However, changes in assemblages from different trophic levels were idiosyncratic: convergence in the dung beetle assemblage did not mimic convergence for trees and birds, for example. Few of the assemblages converged exponentially, the simplest shape for the decay function. Furthermore, trends were sometimes different for different indices of community dissimilarity, suggesting that whether one accepts convergence depends, in part, on exactly what one measures.10aassemblages10acoastal dune forests10acommunity organization10aconvergence10adiv10adynamics10aecological communities10aecological restoration10amining10aRehabilitating coastal dunes10aresilience10arichards bay10asouth africa10asouth-africa10aspecies richness10asuccession1 aWassenaar, T., D.1 aVan Aarde, R., J.1 aPimm, S., L.1 aFerreira, S., M.  u<Go to ISI>://000227659700015 