| Publication Type: | Conference Paper |
| Year of Publication: | 2005 |
| Authors: | F. - T. Krell, Mahiva, V. S., Kouakou, C., N'goran, P., Krell-Westerwalbesloh, S., Newman, D. H., Weib, I., Doumbia, M. |
| Conference Name: | Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Tropical Biology |
| Publisher: | Springer Verlag |
| Conference Location: | Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany |
| Keywords: | Disturbance, dung beetle, East Africa, land use, savanna, West Africa |
| Abstract: | Dung beetles are the main dung recyclers in most Afrotropical environments. We compare dung beetle abundance in herbivore dung in West and East African grasslands that are subject to various anthropogenic disturbances. Dung beetles are similarly abundant in grasslands with indigenous wild herbivores and with extensive cattle farming. However, if herbivore dung is regularly removed (i.e. collected by local people for domestic and agricultural use) or not present locally at all, the abundance of dung beetles decreases. The lowest numbers were found in an urban settlement. |