Journal article
Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification
Nature communications, Vol.14, 8070
06/12/2023
PMID: 38057312
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Abstract
Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world. Within each study site, we measured dung removal in pastures managed with low- and high-intensity regimes to assess between-regime differences in dung beetle diversity and dung removal, whilst also considering climate and regional variations. The impacts of intensification were heterogeneous, either diminishing or increasing dung beetle species richness, functional diversity, and dung removal rates. The effects of beetle diversity on dung removal were more variable across sites than within sites. Dung removal increased with species richness across sites, while functional diversity consistently enhanced dung removal within sites, independently of cattle grazing intensity or climate. Our findings indicate that, despite intensified cattle stocking rates, ecosystem services related to decomposition and nutrient cycling can be maintained when a functionally diverse dung beetle community inhabits the human-modified landscape.Ecosystem services provided by dung beetles are an underappreciated component of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, the authors report a standardized distributed experiment which shows that dung removal rate, a key ecosystem process in pastures, is greater under high beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensity.
Details
- Title
- Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification
- Creators
- Jorge Ari Noriega - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesJoaquín Hortal - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesIndradatta deCastro-Arrazola - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesFernanda Alves-Martins - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesJean C. G Ortega - Universidade Federal do ParáLuis Mauricio Bini - Universidade Federal de GoiásNigel R Andrew - Southern Cross UniversityLucrecia Arellano - Instituto de EcologíaSarah Beynon - Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm (Pembrokeshire, UK)Adrian L. V Davis - University of PretoriaMario E Favila - Instituto de EcologíaKevin D Floate - Agriculture and Agri-Food CanadaFinbarr G Horgan - Catholic University of the MauleRosa Menéndez - Lancaster UniversityTanja Milotic - Research Institute for Nature and ForestBeatrice Nervo - University of TurinClaudia Palestrini - University of TurinAntonio Rolando - University of TurinClarke H Scholtz - University of PretoriaYakup Senyüz - Dumlupinar UniversityThomas Wassmer - Siena Heights UniversityRéka Ádam - Institute of Ecology and BotanyCristina de O Araújo - Universidade Federal de GoiásJosé Luis Barragan-Ramírez - Universidad de GuadalajaraGergely Boros - Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life SciencesEdgar Camero-Rubio - Universidad Nacional de ColombiaMelvin CruzEva Cuesta - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesMiryam Pieri Damborsky - National University of the NortheastChristian M Deschodt - University of PretoriaPriyadarsanan Dharma Rajan - Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the EnvironmentBram D’hondt - Research Institute for Nature and ForestAlfonso Díaz Rojas - Instituto de EcologíaKemal Dindar - Dumlupinar UniversityFederico Escobar - Instituto de EcologíaVerónica R Espinoza - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesJosé Rafael Ferrer-Paris - University of New South WalesPablo Enrique Gutiérrez Rojas - University of the AmazonZac Hemmings - University of New EnglandBenjamín Hernández - Tecnológico Nacional de MéxicoSarah J Hill - University of New EnglandMaurice Hoffmann - Ghent UniversityPierre Jay-Robert - L'université Paul-Valéry-MontpellierKyle Lewis - Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm (Pembrokeshire, UK)Megan Lewis - The University of Western AustraliaCecilia Lozano - Universidade Federal de Mato GrossoDiego Marín-Armijos - Universidad Técnica Particular de LojaPatrícia Menegaz de Farias - Universidade do Sul de Santa CatarinaBetselene Murcia-Ordoñez - University of the AmazonSeena Narayanan Karimbumkara - Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the EnvironmentJosé Luis Navarrete-Heredia - Universidad de GuadalajaraCandelaria Ortega-Echeverría - University of CartagenaJosé D Pablo-Cea - University of El SalvadorWilliam Perrin - Université Paul-Valéry MontpellierMarcelo Bruno Pessoa - Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesAnu Radhakrishnan - Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the EnvironmentIraj Rahimi - Shahrekord UniversityAmalia Teresa Raimundo - National University of the NortheastDiana Catalina Ramos - Universidad Nacional de ColombiaRamón E Rebolledo - Universidad de La FronteraAngela Roggero - University of TurinAda Sánchez-Mercado - University of New South WalesLászló Somay - Institute of Ecology and BotanyJutta Stadler - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental ResearchPejman Tahmasebi - Shahrekord UniversityJosé Darwin Triana Céspedes - University of the AmazonAna M. C Santos - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
- Publication Details
- Nature communications, Vol.14, 8070
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Identifiers
- 991013154112002368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2023 This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article