Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | e9386 |
Journal | Ecology and evolution |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 10 |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2022 |
Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Dung beetles are important actors in the self-regulation of ecosystems by driving nutrient cycling, bioturbation, and pest suppression. Urbanization and the sprawl of agricultural areas, however, destroy natural habitats and may threaten dung beetle diversity. In addition, climate change may cause shifts in geographical distribution and community composition. We used a space-for-time approach to test the effects of land use and climate on α-diversity, local community specialization (H 2′) on dung resources, and γ-diversity of dung-visiting beetles. For this, we used pitfall traps baited with four different dung types at 115 study sites, distributed over a spatial extent of 300 km × 300 km and 1000 m in elevation. Study sites were established in four local land-use types: forests, grasslands, arable sites, and settlements, embedded in near-natural, agricultural, or urban landscapes. Our results show that abundance and species density of dung-visiting beetles were negatively affected by agricultural land use at both spatial scales, whereas γ-diversity at the local scale was negatively affected by settlements and on a landscape scale equally by agricultural and urban land use. Increasing precipitation diminished dung-visiting beetle abundance, and higher temperatures reduced community specialization on dung types and γ-diversity. These results indicate that intensive land use and high temperatures may cause a loss in dung-visiting beetle diversity and alter community networks. A decrease in dung-visiting beetle diversity may disturb decomposition processes at both local and landscape scales and alter ecosystem functioning, which may lead to drastic ecological and economic damage.
Keywords
- coleoptera, coprophagous beetles, decomposition, global change, hill numbers, network analysis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Environmental Science(all)
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
- Environmental Science(all)
- Ecology
Sustainable Development Goals
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Ecology and evolution, Vol. 12, No. 10, e9386, 10.2022.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Dung‐visiting beetle diversity is mainly affected by land use, while community specialization is driven by climate
AU - Englmeier, Jana
AU - Hoermann, Christian von
AU - Rieker, Daniel
AU - Benbow, Marc Eric
AU - Benjamin, Caryl
AU - Fricke, Ute
AU - Ganuza, Cristina
AU - Haensel, Maria
AU - Lackner, Tomáš
AU - Mitesser, Oliver
AU - Redlich, Sarah
AU - Riebl, Rebekka
AU - Rojas‐Botero, Sandra
AU - Rummler, Thomas
AU - Salamon, Jörg‐Alfred
AU - Sommer, David
AU - Steffan‐Dewenter, Ingolf
AU - Tobisch, Cynthia
AU - Uhler, Johannes
AU - Uphus, Lars
AU - Zhang, Jie
AU - Müller, Jörg
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Dung beetles are important actors in the self-regulation of ecosystems by driving nutrient cycling, bioturbation, and pest suppression. Urbanization and the sprawl of agricultural areas, however, destroy natural habitats and may threaten dung beetle diversity. In addition, climate change may cause shifts in geographical distribution and community composition. We used a space-for-time approach to test the effects of land use and climate on α-diversity, local community specialization (H 2′) on dung resources, and γ-diversity of dung-visiting beetles. For this, we used pitfall traps baited with four different dung types at 115 study sites, distributed over a spatial extent of 300 km × 300 km and 1000 m in elevation. Study sites were established in four local land-use types: forests, grasslands, arable sites, and settlements, embedded in near-natural, agricultural, or urban landscapes. Our results show that abundance and species density of dung-visiting beetles were negatively affected by agricultural land use at both spatial scales, whereas γ-diversity at the local scale was negatively affected by settlements and on a landscape scale equally by agricultural and urban land use. Increasing precipitation diminished dung-visiting beetle abundance, and higher temperatures reduced community specialization on dung types and γ-diversity. These results indicate that intensive land use and high temperatures may cause a loss in dung-visiting beetle diversity and alter community networks. A decrease in dung-visiting beetle diversity may disturb decomposition processes at both local and landscape scales and alter ecosystem functioning, which may lead to drastic ecological and economic damage.
AB - Dung beetles are important actors in the self-regulation of ecosystems by driving nutrient cycling, bioturbation, and pest suppression. Urbanization and the sprawl of agricultural areas, however, destroy natural habitats and may threaten dung beetle diversity. In addition, climate change may cause shifts in geographical distribution and community composition. We used a space-for-time approach to test the effects of land use and climate on α-diversity, local community specialization (H 2′) on dung resources, and γ-diversity of dung-visiting beetles. For this, we used pitfall traps baited with four different dung types at 115 study sites, distributed over a spatial extent of 300 km × 300 km and 1000 m in elevation. Study sites were established in four local land-use types: forests, grasslands, arable sites, and settlements, embedded in near-natural, agricultural, or urban landscapes. Our results show that abundance and species density of dung-visiting beetles were negatively affected by agricultural land use at both spatial scales, whereas γ-diversity at the local scale was negatively affected by settlements and on a landscape scale equally by agricultural and urban land use. Increasing precipitation diminished dung-visiting beetle abundance, and higher temperatures reduced community specialization on dung types and γ-diversity. These results indicate that intensive land use and high temperatures may cause a loss in dung-visiting beetle diversity and alter community networks. A decrease in dung-visiting beetle diversity may disturb decomposition processes at both local and landscape scales and alter ecosystem functioning, which may lead to drastic ecological and economic damage.
KW - coleoptera
KW - coprophagous beetles
KW - decomposition
KW - global change
KW - hill numbers
KW - network analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141215884&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ece3.9386
DO - 10.1002/ece3.9386
M3 - Article
VL - 12
JO - Ecology and evolution
JF - Ecology and evolution
SN - 2045-7758
IS - 10
M1 - e9386
ER -