TY - JOUR T1 - Decomposition of Elephant Dung in an Arid, Tropical Environment JF - Oecologia Y1 - 1974 A1 - J. M. Anderson A1 - M. J. Coe SP - 111 EP - 125 KW - decomposition KW - dung beetle KW - ecological function KW - ecosystem service KW - Scarabaeinae VL - 14 N1 - have copy ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of dung and seed size on secondary dispersal, seed predation, and seedling establishment of rain forest trees JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2004 A1 - Andresen, Ellen A1 - Levey, Douglas J. SP - 45 EP - 54 KW - alouatta-palliata KW - beetles scarabaeidae KW - Central Amazonia KW - communities KW - ecology KW - fate KW - horse dung KW - howler monkeys KW - los- KW - plant KW - plant-animal interactions KW - rain forest KW - recruitment KW - seed KW - tuxtlas AB - Seeds dispersed by tropical, arboreal mammals are usually deposited singly and without dung or in clumps of fecal material. After dispersal through defecation by mammals, most seeds are secondarily dispersed by dung beetles or consumed by rodents. These post-dispersal, plant-animal interactions are likely to interact themselves, as seeds buried by dung beetles are less likely to be found by rodents than unburied seeds. In a series of three experiments with seeds of 15 species in central Amazonia (Brazil), we determined (1) how presence and amount of dung associated with seeds influences long-term seed fate and seedling establishment, (2) how deeply dung beetles bury seeds and how burial depth affects seedling establishment, and (3) how seed size affects the interaction between seeds, dung beetles, and rodents. Our overall goal was to understand how post-dispersal plant-animal interactions determine the link between primary seed dispersal and seedling establishment. On average, 43% of seeds surrounded by dung were buried by dung beetles, compared to 0% of seeds not surrounded by dung (n=2,156). Seeds in dung, however, tended to be more prone than bare seeds to predation by rodents. Of seeds in dung, probability of burial was negatively related to seed size and positively related to amount of dung. Burial of seeds decreased the probability of seed predation by rodents three-fold, and increased the probability of seedling establishment two-fold. Mean burial depth was 4 cm (0.5-20 cm) and was not related to seed size, contrary to previous studies. Probability of seedling establishment was negatively correlated with burial depth and not related to seed size at 5 or 10 cm depths. These results illustrate a complex web of interactions among dung beetles, rodents, and dispersed seeds. These interactions affect the probability of seedling establishment and are themselves strongly tied to how seeds are deposited by primary dispersers. More generally, our results emphasize the importance of looking beyond a single type of plant-animal interaction (e.g., seed dispersal or seed predation) to incorporate potential effects of interacting interactions. VL - 139 UR - ://000220097200006 N1 - 801LKOECOLOGIA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of forest fragmentation on the beetle assemblage at the relict forest of Fray Jorge, Chile JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2002 A1 - Barbosa, Olga A1 - Marquet, Pablo A. SP - 296 EP - 306 KW - Dung beetles KW - fragmentation KW - South America KW - temperate forests AB - Habitat fragmentation is recognized as one of the main factors associated with species extinction and is particularly acute in South American forest habitats. In this study, we examined the effects of forest fragmentation on the beetle assemblage at the relict temperate forest of Fray Jorge (Chile). We evaluated the following hypotheses: (1) there is a strong edge effect, so that the number of beetle species and individuals increases away from the edge, towards the inner part of each fragment, (2) this pattern should be apparent in the larger fragments but not in the smaller ones, where edge effects are expected to be stronger, and (3) there should be a significant interaction between number of species/individuals found inside and outside fragments (i.e., in the matrix) and season, because of an increase in aridity and water stress during austral summer months. We found that the relationship between the number of individuals and number of species vs distance from the matrix towards the forest interior was affected by fragment size and season. In general, both number of species and individuals tended to increase from the matrix towards the forest edge and then either decrease, increase or maintain a constant level, depending on fragment size and season. The result of an ANOVA analysis, which used season, size, and position (inside vs outside fragments) as factors and number of individuals as the response variable, showed a significant effect of fragment size, position, and season and a significant interaction between fragment size and season, season and position, and size and position. ANOVA analysis using number of species as the response variable showed that area, season, and position all had significant effects. The results also showed a significant interaction between size and season and between season and position. Our results emphasize the existence of strong fragment-size and seasonal effects modulating both the response of beetles to fragmentation and their abundance and distribution in temperate areas. Thus, seasonal dynamic effects can be of paramount importance to demonstrate and understand the effect of habitat fragmentation upon arthropod assemblages in temperate areas. VL - 132 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Patterns of daily flight activity in onitine dung beetles (Scarabaeinae: Onitini) JF - Oecologia Y1 - 1995 A1 - Caveney, Stanley A1 - Scholtz, Clarke H. A1 - McIntyre, Peter SP - 444 EP - 452 KW - Diel activity KW - Dung beetles KW - Endothermy KW - Flight behaviour VL - 103 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Ungulate community structure and ecological processes: body size, hoof area and trampling in African savannas JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2003 A1 - Cumming, D. H. M. A1 - Cumming, G. S. SP - 560 EP - 568 KW - African herbivores KW - allometry KW - body mass KW - ecosystems KW - elephants KW - infiltration KW - livestock KW - mammals KW - pressures KW - scaling KW - soil KW - vegetation AB - A wide range of bioenergetic, production, life history and ecological traits scale with body size in vertebrates. However, the consequences of differences in community body-size structure for ecological processes have not been explored. We studied the scaling relationships between body mass, shoulder height, hoof area, stride length and daily ranging distance in African ungulates ranging in size from the 5 kg dik-dik to the 5,000 kg African elephant, and the implications of these relationships on the area trampled by single and multi-species herbivore communities of differing structure. Hoof area, shoulder height and stride length were strongly correlated with body mass (Pearson's r >0.98, 0.95 and 0.90, respectively). Hoof area scaled linearly to body mass with a slope of unity, implying that the pressures exerted on the ground per unit area by a small antelope and an elephant are identical. Shoulder height and stride length scaled to body mass with similar slopes of 0.32 and 0.26, respectively; larger herbivores have relatively shorter legs and take relatively shorter steps than small herbivores, and so trample a greater area of ground per unit distance travelled. We compared several real and hypothetical single- and multi-species ungulate communities using exponents of between 0.1 and 0.5 for the body mass to daily ranging distance relationship and found that the estimated area trampled was greater in communities dominated by larger animals. The impacts of large herbivores are not limited to trampling. Questions about the ecological implications of community body-size structure for such variables as foraging and food intake, dung quality and deposition rates, methane production, and daily travelling distances remain clear research priorities. VL - 134 UR - ://000181582700014 N1 - Times Cited: 0Cited Reference Count: 37Cited References: ABDELMAGID AH, 1987, J RANGE MANAGE, V40, P303 ABDELMAGID AH, 1987, J RANGE MANAGE, V40, P307 ALTMANN SA, 1987, J ZOOL, V211, P215 BARDSLEY WG, 2001, SIMFIT REFERENCE MAN BENNETT MB, 1999, J ZOOL 3, V247, P365 BROWN JH, 2000, SCALING BIOL CALDER WA, 1984, SIZE FUNCTION LIFE H COE MJ, 1976, OECOLOGIA, V22, P341 COLLINSON RFH, 1982, INKWE, V1, P1 CUMMING DHM, 1982, ECOLOGY TROPICAL SAV, P217 CUMMING DHM, 1997, S AFR J SCI, V93, P231 CUMMING DHM, 1999, STUDY DEV TRANSBOUND DADKHAH M, 1980, WATER RESOUR BULL, V16, P979 DAMUTH J, 1981, BIOL J LINN SOC, V15, P185 ECKERT RE, 1986, J RANGE MANAGE, V39, P414 FRITZ H, 1994, P ROY SOC LOND B BIO, V256, P77 GARLAND T, 1983, AM NAT, V121, P571 GIFFORD GF, 1980, UTAH AGR EXP STN RES, V50, P1 JOLICOEUR P, 1990, J THEOR BIOL, V144, P257 LABARBERA M, 1989, ANNU REV ECOL SYST, V20, P97 LAWS RM, 1970, OIKOS, V21, P1 LAWTON JH, 1994, OIKOS, V71, P367 LULL HW, 1959, USDA FOREST SERV MIS, V768, P1 MENTIS MT, 1981, VELD PASTURE MANAGEM, P287 OWENSMITH RN, 1988, MEGAHERBIVORES INFLU OWENSMITH RN, 1993, P 17 INT GRASSL C NZ, V1, P691 PETERS RH, 1983, ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATI PLUMPTRE AJ, 1993, AFR J ECOL, V32, P115 PROTHERO J, 1986, J THEOR BIOL, V118, P259 SKINNER JD, 1990, MAMMALS SO AFRICAN S SMITHERS RHN, 1983, MAMMALS SO AFRICAN S SOKAL RR, 1995, BIOMETRY PRINCIPLES SPRUGEL DG, 1983, ECOLOGY, V64, P209 SSEMAKULA J, 1983, AFR J ECOL, V21, P325 VILJOEN PJ, 1990, S AFR J WILDL RES, V20, P65 WARREN SD, 1986, J RANGE MANAGE, V39, P491 WESTERN D, 1979, AFR J ECOL, V17, P185EnglishArticle655ZDOECOLOGIA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Altered leaf-litter decomposition rates in tropical forest fragments JF - Oecologia Y1 - 1998 A1 - Didham, R. K. SP - 397 EP - 406 KW - forest change biodiversity dung beetles forest function AB - The effects of forest fragmentation on leaf-litter decomposition rates were investigated for the first time in an experimentally fragmented tropical forest landscape in Central Amazonia. Leaf-litter decomposition rates were measured at seven distances (0-420 m) along forest edge-to-interior transects in two 100-ha fragments, two continuous forest edges, and at an identical series of distances along two deep continuous forest transects, as well as at the centers of two 1-ha and two 10-ha fragments. Decomposition rates increased significantly towards the edge of 100-ha forest fragments. Litter turnover times were 3-4 times faster within 50 m of the edge of 100-ha fragments than normally found in deep continuous forest. In contrast, there was no significant change in the rate of leaf-litter decomposition from the interior to the edge of continuous forest. It is difficult to account for these very different edge responses. Decomposition rates were not correlated with air temperature differentials, evaporative drying rates, litter depth, biomass or moisture content, or with total invertebrate densities, either within individual edge transects or across all sites. The difference in edge response may be due to chance, particularly the patchy removal of vast quantities of litter by litter-feeding termites, or may be a real, area-dependent phenomenon. Clearly, however, forest fragmentation increases the variability and unpredictability of litter decomposition rates near forest edges. In addition to edge effects, decomposition. rates were strongly affected by decreasing fragment area. While sites at the centers of 10-ha and 100-ha forest fragments and continuous forest had equivalent decomposition rates, rates were markedly lower at the centers of 1-ha fragments. Litter turnover times were 2-3 times slower in I-ha fragments than in continuous forest, and up to 13 times slower than at 100-ha edges. Litter structure and nutrient cycling dynamics are inevitably altered by forest fragmentation. VL - 116 UR - ://000076034600013 N1 - 121VDOECOLOGIA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Discontinuous gas exchange in dung beetles: patterns and ecological implications JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2000 A1 - Duncan, F. D. A1 - Byrne, M. J. SP - 452 EP - 458 KW - ant KW - COLEOPTERA KW - discontinuous gas exchange cycle KW - formicidae KW - habitat association KW - hymenoptera KW - namib desert KW - respiration KW - Scarabaeidae KW - Scarabaeinae KW - south-africa KW - telecoprid KW - tenebrionid beetles KW - terrestrial insects KW - ventilatory patterns AB - This study correlates a distinctive pattern of external gas exchanger referred to as the discontinuous gas exchange cycle (DGC), observed in the laboratory, with habitat associations of five species of telecoprid dung beetles. The beetles were chosen from a variety of habitats that would be expected to present different amounts of water stress. All five species exhibited DGC. Sisyphus fasciculatus has been recorded only in woodland areas, and does not have strict spiracular control during its DGC. Anachalcos convexus and Scarabaeus rusticus are associated with open mesic habitats. Both species exhibit a distinct DGC, previously found in some other insect species, but intermediate within this study group. Sc. flavicornis and Circellium bacchus are typically found in arid regions, and have the most unusual form of DGC with spiracular fluttering during the burst phase. These results support the hypothesis that spiracular fluttering reduces respiratory water loss. From this study we conclude that the DGC is an ancestral adaptation. most probably as a result of anoxic environments in underground burrows, but that spiracular control is enhanced to reduce respiratory water lass in beetle species that live in arid habitats. VL - 122 UR - ://000086455000002 N1 - Times Cited: 11Cited Reference Count: 40Cited References: BARTHOLOMEW GA, 1985, J COMP PHYSIOL B, V155, P155 BERNON G, 1981, THESIS U BOWLING GRE CAMBEFORT Y, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY, P22 CAMBEFORT Y, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY, P36 CAMBEFORT Y, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY, P51 CHOWN SL, 1995, FUNCT ECOL, V9, P30 DAVIS ALV, 1995, ACTA OECOL, V16, P641 DAVIS ALV, 1996, AGR ECOSYST ENVIRON, V58, P157 DOUBE BM, 1990, B ENTOMOL RES, V80, P259 DOUBE BM, 1983, B ENTOMOL RES, V73, P357 DOUBE BM, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY, P133 DUNCAN FD, 1997, PHYSIOL ENTOMOL, V22, P310 DUNCAN FD, 1993, PHYSIOL ENTOMOL, V18, P372 FERREIRA MC, 1972, REV ENT MOCAM, V11, P5 HADLEY NF, 1994, PHYSIOL ZOOL, V67, P175 HEINRICH B, 1979, PHYSIOL ZOOL, V52, P489 HOLTER P, 1991, PEDOBIOLOGIA, V35, P281 KESTLER A, 1985, ENV PHYSL BIOCH INSE, P137 KLOK CJ, 1994, THESIS U PRETORIA LIGHTON JRB, 1996, ANNU REV ENTOMOL, V41, P309 LIGHTON JRB, 1991, CONCISE ENCY BIOL BI, P201 LIGHTON JRB, 1993, J COMP PHYSIOL B, V163, P11 LIGHTON JRB, 1995, J EXP BIOL, V198, P521 LIGHTON JRB, 1995, J EXP BIOL, V198, P1613 LIGHTON JRB, 1992, J EXP BIOL, V173, P289 LIGHTON JRB, 1991, J EXP BIOL, V159, P249 LIGHTON JRB, 1990, J EXP BIOL, V151, P71 LIGHTON JRB, 1988, J EXP BIOL, V134, P363 LIGHTON JRB, 1988, J INSECT PHYSL, V34, P361 LIGHTON JRB, 1994, PHYSIOL ZOOL, V67, P142 LIGHTON JRB, 1985, PHYSIOL ZOOL, V58, P390 MILLER PL, 1981, LOCOMOTION ENERGETIC, P367 OSBERG D, 1988, THESIS U WITWATERSRA OSBERG DC, 1992, J ENTOMOL SOC S AFR, V55, P85 OSBERG DC, 1993, TROP ZOOL, V6, P243 PASCHALIDIS KM, 1974, THESIS RHODES U GRAH SCHMIDTNIELSEN K, 1980, ANIMAL PHYSL ADAPTAT SLAMA K, 1988, WOODS HOLE OCEANOGR, V175, P289 TRIBE GD, 1976, THESIS U NATAL PIETE ZAR JH, 1984, BIOSTATISTICAL ANALEnglishArticle303YGOECOLOGIA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of brood parasitism on host reproductive success: evidence from larval interactions among dung beetles JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2003 A1 - Gonzalez-Megias, A. A1 - Sanchez-Pinero, F. SP - 195 EP - 202 KW - abundance KW - aphodius ater KW - assemblage KW - cleptoparasite KW - COLEOPTERA KW - community KW - coprophagous beetles KW - desert ecology KW - hymenoptera KW - intraspecific competition KW - kleptoparasitism KW - Larval mortality KW - resource utilization KW - Scarabaeidae AB - This paper investigates the effect of brood parasitism in a dung beetle assemblage in an arid region of Spain. The study was conducted during the spring season (March-May 1994-1998) using mesh cylinders buried into the ground, filled with sand and with sheep dung on top. We quantified the proportion of nests containing larvae of parasitic beetles and their effect on host larvae survival. Experiments on the effect of parasitic larvae on host-larvae survival were conducted by placing scarab brood masses (raised from captive scarabs in the laboratory) in containers with and without aphodiid larvae. During the spring, dung desiccation is rapid, preventing aphodiids nesting in the dung, and forcing these species to adopt brood parasitism as a nesting strategy. Parasitic aphodiids were found in 12-47% of scarab nests of three species. The incidence of brood parasitization was positively related with the number of brood masses contained in the nests, being also higher in the most abundant species. Field data and experiments showed that brood parasites significantly reduced host larvae survival from 74.8% in non-parasitized nests to 8.8% in parasitized nests. Because different rates of nest parasitization and mortality were caused by parasites, brood parasitism had a differential effect on different host species. Thus, brood, parasitism constitutes an important mortality factor reducing the reproductive success of the host species and potentially affecting the beetle abundance in the area. VL - 134 UR - ://000180822900005 N1 - Times Cited: 0Cited Reference Count: 57Cited References: BEGON M, 1995, ECOLOGY INDIVIDUALS BORNEMISSZA GF, 1971, PEDOBIOLOGIA, V11, P1 BORNEMISSZA GF, 1969, PEDOBIOLOGIA, V9, P223 CAMBEFORT Y, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY, P156 CHAPMAN TA, 1869, ENTOMOL MONTH MAG, V5, P273 CLOUDSLEYTHOMPS.JL, 1991, ECOPHYSIOLOGY DESERT CLUTTONBROCK TH, 1991, EVOLUTION PARENTAL C DAVIS ALV, 1996, AFR J ECOL, V34, P258 DAY RW, 1989, ECOL MONOGR, V59, P433 DELLACASSA G, 1983, B MUS REG SCI NAT TO, V1, P1 DOUBE BM, 1990, ECOL ENTOMOL, V15, P371 GILLER PS, 1989, J ANIM ECOL, V58, P129 GITTINGS T, 1997, ECOGRAPHY, V20, P55 GITTINGS T, 1999, PEDOBIOLOGIA, V43, P439 GONZALEZMEGIAS A, 1999, THESIS U GRANADA GRA HALFFTER G, 1966, FOLIA ENTOMOL MEXICO, V12, P1 HALFFTER G, 1982, NESTING BEHAV DUNG B HAMMOND PM, 1976, COLEOPT B, V30, P245 HANSKI I, 1980, ANN ENTOMOL FENN, V46, P57 HIRSCHBERGER P, 1996, ECOL ENTOMOL, V21, P352 HIRSCHBERGER P, 1998, OECOLOGIA, V116, P136 HOLTER P, 1979, ECOL ENTOMOL, V4, P317 HOLTER P, 1982, OIKOS, V39, P213 HOWDEN HF, 1955, J TENNESSEE ACAD SCI, V30, P64 HOWDEN HF, 1963, P US NAT MUS, V114, P1 KLEMPERER HG, 1980, ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOG, V5, P143 KREBS JR, 1993, INTRO BEHAV ECOLOGY LANDIN BO, 1961, OPUSC ENTOMOL LUND S, V19, P1 LUMARET JP, 1987, ACTA ZOOL MEX, V24, P1 LUMARET JP, 1989, B ECOLOGIE, V20, P51 MARTINPIERA F, 1993, ACTA ZOOLOGICA MEXIC, V57, P15 MARTINPIERA F, 1984, EOS, V60, P101 MUNSTERSWENDSEN M, 2000, ECOL ENTOMOL, V25, P63 NOYMEIR I, 1979, ISRAEL J BOT, V28, P1 PAULIAN R, 1982, ENCY ENTOMOLOGY, V43 PETANIDOU T, 1995, BIOL J LINN SOC, V55, P261 PITTINO R, 1986, GIORNALE ITALIANO EN, V3, P1 POLIS GA, 1991, AM NAT, V138, P123 RASA OAE, 1996, NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN, V83, P575 RICE WR, 1989, EVOLUTION, V43, P223 ROSENHEIM JA, 1989, BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, V25, P335 ROTHSTEIN SI, 1998, PARASITIC BIRDS THEI ROUGON D, 1982, B SOC ENTOMOL FR, V87, P272 ROUGON D, 1980, CR ACAD SCI D NAT, V291, P417 ROUGON D, 1991, DUNG BEETLE ECOLOGY, P230 ROUGON D, 1980, REV ECOL BIOL SOL, V17, P379 SANCHEZPINERO F, 1994, THESIS U GRANADA GRA SMITH JN, 2000, ECOLOGY MANAGEMENT C SPOFFORD M, 1986, J NAT HIST, V26, P993 STEVENSON BG, 1985, COLEOPTERISTS B, V39, P215 TALLAMY DW, 1984, BIOSCIENCE, V34, P20 TORCHIO PF, 1992, ANN ENTOMOL SOC AM, V85, P713 TORCHIO PF, 1972, MELANDERIA, V10, P1 TRINE CL, 1998, PARASITIC BIRDS THEI, P273 TRUMBO ST, 1990, ECOL ENTOMOL, V15, P347 VOLLRATH F, 1984, STRATEGIES EXPLOTATI, P61 ZAR JH, 1996, BIOSTATISTICAL ANALEnglishArticle642UHOECOLOGIA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Niche Relations among Dung-Inhabiting Beetles JF - Oecologia Y1 - 1977 A1 - Hanski, I. A1 - Koskela, H. SP - 203 EP - 231 KW - Dung beetles VL - 28 UR - ://A1977DG18200001 N1 - DG182OECOLOGIA ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Spatial distribution, resource utilisation and intraspecific competition in the dung beetle Aphodius ater JF - Oecologia Y1 - 1998 A1 - Hirschberger, Petra SP - 136 EP - 142 KW - aggregation KW - density dependence KW - dung beetle KW - egg-laying behaviour KW - Scarabaeidae VL - 116 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Distribution and abundance of dung beetles in fragmented landscapes JF - Oecologia Y1 - 2001 A1 - Roslin, T. A1 - Koivunen, A. SP - 69 EP - 77 KW - aphodius KW - APHODIUS SCARABAEIDAE KW - assemblage KW - COLEOPTERA KW - community KW - diversity KW - dynamics KW - europe mammals KW - habitat loss KW - metapopulation KW - patchy KW - population KW - resource utilization KW - serpentine KW - spatial population structure KW - stability AB - Related species utilising similar resources are often assumed to show similar spatial population structures and dynamics. This paper reports substantial ecological variation within a set of Aphodius dung beetles occurring in the same patchily distributed resource, livestock dung in pastures. We show how variation in habitat and resource selectivity, in the rate of movements between pastures, and in the distribution of local population sizes all contribute to interspecific differences in spatial population structures. Local dung beetle assemblages are compared between two landscapes with different densities of pastures. In one of the landscapes, we contrast the abundances and regional distributions of Aphodius before and after 15 years of rapid habitat loss. Different species show very dissimilar responses to changes in the structure of the landscape. Our results suggest that generalist Aphodius species, and specialist species with high dispersal powers, occur as large "patchy" populations in the landscape. In contrast? a strict pasture specialist species with limited dispersal powers (A. pusillus) forms classical metapopulations. At the community level, interspecific differences in spatial population structures make the local community composition a function of the structure of the surrounding landscape. VL - 127 UR - ://000167629200008 N1 - digital & hard copy copy ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Factors Affecting Post-Dispersal Seed Survival in a Tropical Forest JF - Oecologia Y1 - 1988 A1 - Schupp, E. W. SP - 525 EP - 530 KW - dung beetles forest function VL - 76 UR - ://A1988Q070500007 N1 - Q0705OECOLOGIA ER -