Do sexual gonadic maturity and age determine habitat occupancy of Canthon cyanellus LeConte, 1859 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Renato Portela Salomão ◽  
Lucrecia Arellano ◽  
Carmen Huerta ◽  
Jorge Leonel León-Cortés
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Mature Female ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Air Humidity ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Habitat Occupancy ◽  
Soil Hardness ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Live Fences

Abstract High-quality habitats presumably have the resources required to sustain relatively high rates of survival and reproduction. We assessed how habitat type and local environmental conditions determine the distribution of individuals of Canthon cyanellus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), an eurytopic dung beetle, according to age category and sexual gonadic maturity. Beetles were surveyed in forest fragments, live fences, and pastures in Mexico. Individuals were categorised into six age categories according to the glandular volumes in males and oocyte number and length in females. Mature females in forest fragments were the most abundant females found among the habitats. Air humidity and soil hardness were positively and negatively related to mature female abundance, respectively. Mature beetles were the most abundant among males, and higher abundance of males occurred in forest fragments than in live fences and pastures. Light quantity was negatively related to the abundance of young males. Compared to forest fragments, females in pastures had larger oocytes. However, sites with higher soil hardness and air humidity had females with lower numbers of oocytes. Our results demonstrate that, although C. cyanellus occurs across a wide range of habitats, forest habitats might host sexually mature individuals, which translates into more effective individual dispersion and potential reproduction.

Effectiveness of Protected Areas in Conserving the Highly Hunted Mammal Species as Bushmeat in Southern Benin

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Chabi A.M.S. Djagoun ◽  
Etotépé A. Sogbohossou ◽  
Barthélémy Kassa ◽  
Christian B. Ahouandjinou ◽  
Hugues A. Akpona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Cell System ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Occupancy Model ◽  
Habitat Occupancy ◽  
Anthropogenic Habitat ◽  
Lama Forest

Background: The habitat degradation together with fragmentation and illegal hunting represent a major threat for biodiversity conservation in Lama protected areas. Method: We used a combination of questionnaire survey with local communities for ranking the hunted mammal species as bushmeat and track surveys in gridded-cell system of 500x500 m2 (n=268) to assess at what extend the management design, the anthropogenic factors and habitat type affect the occupancy model of those mammal species. Results: Twenty mammal species have been predominantly reported by the local inhabitants to consume bushmeat species and 5 of them have been identified as the most preferable as hunted game mammals. The selection of the preferred habitat among the swampy forest, the dense forest, the tree plantations and cropland for the prioritized game species varies between species but looks similar when grouping in different orders. Some bushmeat species were found to select the more secure habitat (natural forest); suggesting the zoning system in the Lama forest can passively protect those species. However, some species such as T. swinderianus although highly hunted showed preference to anthropogenic habitat, avoiding the well secured core zone in Lama Forest. Conclusion: Our findings highlighted the importance of the zoning system with different management objectives in the habitat occupancy model of the highly hunted wildlife species.

scholarly journals Wood Pastures: A Transitional Habitat between Forests and Pastures for Dung Beetle Assemblages

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
László Somay ◽  
Viktor Szigeti ◽  
Gergely Boros ◽  
Réka Ádám ◽  
András Báldi
Keyword(s):  
Functional Group ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
Beetle Assemblages

Wood pastures are home to a variety of species, including the dung beetle. Dung beetles are an important functional group in decomposition. Specifically, in terms of livestock manure, they not only contribute to nutrient cycling but are key players in supporting human and animal health. Dung beetles, however, are declining in population, and urgent recommendations are needed to reverse this trend. Recommendations need to be based on solid evidence and specific habitats. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of an intermediate habitat type between forests and pastures. Wood pastures are key areas for dung beetle conservation. For this reason, we compared dung beetle assemblages among forests, wood pastures, and grasslands. We complemented this with studies on the effects of dung type and season at three Hungarian locations. Pitfall traps baited with cattle, sheep, or horse dung were used in forests, wood pastures, and pasture habitats in spring, summer, and autumn. Dung beetle assemblages of wood pastures showed transient characteristics between forests and pastures regarding their abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, assemblage composition, and indicator species. We identified a strong effect of season and a weak of dung type. Assemblage composition proved to be the most sensitive measure of differences among habitats. The conservation of dung beetles, and the decomposition services they provide, need continuous livestock grazing to provide fresh dung, as well as the maintenance of wood pastures where dung beetle assemblages typical of forests and pastures can both survive.

scholarly journals Agricultural crops in the diet of bearded capuchin monkeys, Cebus libidinosus Spix (Primates: Cebidae), in forest fragments in southeast Brazil

2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Henrique de Freitas ◽  
Eleonore Z. F. Setz ◽  
Alba R. B. Araújo ◽  
Nivar Gobbi
Keyword(s):  
Fruit Production ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Capuchin Monkeys ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Plant Matter ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cebus Libidinosus

Capuchin monkeys occupy a wide range of habitats where they feed on fruits, arthropods, and vertebrates. Their large home ranges (80-900 ha) suggest that living in forest fragments may challenge their adaptability. We identified and quantified the main food items of Cebus libidinosus Spix, 1823 in forests fragments (100 ha) in southeastern Brazil. We recorded the feeding activities of two groups using scan sampling over a 13-month period. The diet was composed of fruits, crops, animal prey, seeds, plant matter and undetermined. Fruit was eaten more in the wet season than in the dry season, and maize and sugar cane consumption peaked in the early dry season. The proportion of fruit in the diet was positively correlated with fruiting intensity of zoochorous trees. The plant diet included 54 species, with maize, Rhamnidium elaeocarpus, Acrocomia aculeata, Guazuma ulmifolia and Cariniana, being most important. Although dietary composition and diversity were similar to capuchins in larger forest fragments, feeding on crops attained higher percentages at times when zoochorous fruit production was low in fragments.

scholarly journals Gefährlich und nützlich zugleich: Strategien zum Management der invasiven Robinie

2018 ◽  
Vol 169 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela Vítková ◽  
Marco Conedera ◽  
Jiří Sádlo ◽  
Jan Pergl ◽  
Petr Pyšek
Keyword(s):  
Time Management ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Black Locust ◽  
Robinia Pseudoacacia ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Intensively Managed

Dangerous and useful at the same time: management strategies for the invasive black locust The North American black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is considered controversial as many other introduced tree species because of its both positive and negative properties. Based on a literature review and own data we analyze the occurrence of black locust in Czechia and Switzerland and present the management approaches in place. In both countries, black locust is on the blacklist of invasive introduced species. It can grow in a wide range of habitats from urban and agricultural landscape to dry grassland and forest. Meanwhile, the species became in many places part of the environment and human culture, so that neither unrestricted cultivation nor large-scale eradication is feasible. We suggest a context-dependent management which respects the different needs and takes into account the local environmental conditions, land-use, habitat type, risk of spread as well as economic, cultural and biodiversity aspects. To this purpose we propose three management strategies: 1) control respectively gradual suppression of black locust in forests where the species is not welcome, 2) its eradication in sensitive ecosystems as dry grasslands or clear and dry forests and 3) its tolerance in intensively managed agricultural landscapes and in urban environment.

scholarly journals Marine Litter in Transitional Water Ecosystems: State of The Art Review Based on a Bibliometric Analysis

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monia Renzi ◽  
Valentina H. Pauna ◽  
Francesca Provenza ◽  
Cristina Munari ◽  
Michele Mistri
Keyword(s):  
Natural Capital ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Statistical Analyses ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Marine Litter ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Urban Impacts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Water Ecosystems ◽  
The Impact

Transitional water ecosystems (TWEs), despite their ecological and economic importance, are largely affected by human pressures that could be responsible for significant inputs of litter in the marine environment. Plastic input in coastal ponds, lagoons, river deltas and estuaries, could be driven by a wide range of human activities such as agriculture, waste disposal, municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, aquaculture, fishing and touristic activities and urban impacts. However, it remains unknown what the impact of plastic input in these TWEs could have on natural capital and, therefore, the ability for an ecosystem to provide goods and services to human beings. Given the large interest with regards to the conservation of transitional water ecosystems and the clear exposure risk to plastic and microplastic pollution, this study aims to perform: (i) a bibliometric analyses on existing literature regarding the levels of marine litter in such environments; (ii) a selection among the available literature of homogeneous data; and (iii) statistical analyses to explore data variability. Results suggest that: (i) research on microplastics in these ecosystems did not begin to be published until 2013 for lagoons, 2014 for river mouths and 2019 for coastal ponds. The majority of articles published on studies of microplastics in lagoons did not occur until 2019; (ii) sediments represent the matrix on which sampling and extraction variability allow the statistical analyses on data reported by the literature; (iii) the Analysis of Similarities (ANOSIM) test two-way evidenced that the level of protection of marine and terrestrial areas produced similar values while the habitat type showed low significance in terms of its effect on microplastic levels, shape and size in sediments.

Diversity and body size of dung beetles attracted to different dung types along a tropical land-use gradient in Sulawesi, Indonesia

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahabuddin ◽  
Purnama Hidayat ◽  
Sjafrida Manuwoto ◽  
Woro A. Noerdjito ◽  
Teja Tscharntke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Habitat Disturbance ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Habitat Types

Abstract:Dung beetles are a functionally important component of most terrestrial ecosystems, but communities change with habitat disturbance and deforestation. In this study, we tested if dung beetle ensembles on dung of introduced cattle and of the endemic anoa, a small buffalo, are affected differentially by habitat disturbance. Therefore, we exposed 10 pitfall traps, five baited with anoa and five baited with cattle dung, per site in six habitat types ranging from natural and selectively logged rain forest to three types of agroforestry system (characterized by different management intensity) and open areas (n = 4 replicate sites per habitat type) at the margin of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. We found 28 species, 43% of which were endemic to Sulawesi. Species richness, abundance and biomass declined from natural forest towards open area. Large-bodied species appeared to be more sensitive to habitat disturbance and the ratio of large to small-sized dung beetles declined with land-use intensity. Although selectively logged forest and cocoa agroforestry systems had lower species richness compared with natural forest, they appeared to maintain a high portion of species originally inhabiting forest sites. The similarity of dung beetle ensembles recorded at forest and agroforestry sites reflects the high similarity of some habitat variables (e.g. vegetation structure and microclimate) between both habitat types compared with open areas. Species richness and abundances as well as species composition, which was characterized by decreases in mean body size, changed with land-use intensity, indicating that dung type is less important than habitat type for determining ensemble structure of these Indonesian dung beetles.

scholarly journals Multi-scale determinants of small mammal and lizard dimensions of diversity across Amazonian insular forest fragments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Filipa Palmeirim ◽  
Fabio Farneda ◽  
Marcus Vinicius Vieira ◽  
Carlos A. Peres
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Hydropower Development ◽  
Β Diversity

Abstract Context Hydropower development is one of the primary drivers of habitat loss and insular fragmentation. Yet, studies quantifying such effects on biodiversity are mostly limited to taxonomic metrics, often overlooking species identity and their functional and phylogenetic roles. Objectives We examined taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic responses to habitat loss and insular fragmentation of small mammals and lizards within (α) and between sites (β). Methods Both taxa were surveyed across 25 islands within the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir, and adjacent continuous forest, in Central Amazonia. Each dimension of diversity was related to spatial and habitat variables. We also examined functional composition using community-weighted mean trait values, and community redundancy using functional uniqueness. β-diversity was partitioned into their richness (βrich) and replacement (βrepl) components. Results Functional and phylogenetic α−diversities of both taxa mirrored the taxonomic dimension, all of which increased with forest area. Individual small mammal (body mass and matrix tolerance), and lizard traits (heliothermic mode and habitat type) were also predicted by forest area. For both taxa, species functional uniqueness decreased with forest area, and all dimensions of β-diversity were predominantly partitioned in βrich. Conclusions The environmental filter created by forest area resulted in the low conservation value associated with small forest islands, only occupied by a small set of species comprised by generalist lizards and matrix-tolerant small mammals. On the other side, large forest sites ensured ecosystem resilience to disturbance. To maintain ecosystem integrity, creating a myriad small island over large expanses of floodwaters should be avoided in future hydropower development.

scholarly journals Doublesex mediates species-, sex-, environment- and trait-specific exaggeration of size and shape

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1953) ◽  
pp. 20210241
Author(s):  
Patrick T. Rohner ◽  
David M. Linz ◽  
Armin P. Moczek
Keyword(s):  
Gene Networks ◽  
Phenotypic Diversity ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Genetic Modifiers ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Onthophagus Taurus ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Developmental Contexts ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Segmental Differentiation

Context-dependent trait exaggeration is a major contributor to phenotypic diversity. However, the genetic modifiers instructing development across multiple contexts remain largely unknown. We use the arthropod tibia, a hotspot for segmental differentiation, as a paradigm to assess the developmental mechanisms underlying the context-dependent structural exaggeration of size and shape through nutritional plasticity, sexual dimorphism and segmental differentiation. Using an RNAseq approach in the sexually dimorphic and male-polyphenic dung beetle Digitonthophagus gazella , we find that only a small portion (3.7%) of all transcripts covary positively in expression level with trait size across contexts. However, RNAi-mediated knockdown of the conserved sex-determination gene doublesex suggests that it functions as a context-dependent master mediator of trait exaggeration in D. gazella as well as the closely related dung beetle Onthophagus taurus . Taken together, our findings suggest (i) that the gene networks associated with trait exaggeration are highly dependent on the precise developmental context, (ii) that doublesex differentially shapes morphological exaggeration depending on developmental contexts and (iii) that this context-specificity of dsx -mediated trait exaggeration may diversify rapidly. This mechanism may contribute to the resolution of conflict arising from environment-dependent antagonistic selection among sexes and divergent developmental contexts in a wide range of animals.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal variation in the adult sex ratio, male aggregation, and movement of two tropical cloud forest dung beetles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julliana Barretto ◽  
Martha L Baena ◽  
Israel Huesca Domínguez ◽  
Federico Escobar
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Adult Sex Ratio ◽  
The Face ◽  
Male Aggregation

Abstract While theory suggests that at conception the sex ratio should be balanced (1:1), this can be variable across space and time in wild populations. Currently, studies of the environmental factors that regulate adult sex ratio (ASR) in species with different life-history traits are scarce. Using capture-recapture over a year, we analyzed the influence of habitat type (forest and non-forest) and season (rainy and dry) on variation in ASR, male aggregation and the trajectory movement of two dung beetle species with different life-history traits: Deltochilum mexicanum (a hornless roller species) and Dichotomius satanas (a tunneler species with horns on its head and thorax). We found opposite tendencies. The D. mexicanum population tends to be female-biased, but the population of D. satanas tends to be predominantly male, and observed values were not related to habitat type or season. However, the 95% confidence intervals estimated were highly variable between seasons depending on habitat. On examining the monthly variation in ASR for both habitats, we found that it depends on the species. In addition, male aggregation differed between species depending on habitat type and season, and species movement patterns were closely related to their habitat preferences. Based on our results, we argue that comparative population studies of species with different life-history traits are necessary to understand the variation in demographic parameters as well as its ecological and evolutionary implications in the face of spatial and climatic environmental variation.

scholarly journals Dung beetles as vertebrate samplers – a test of high throughput analysis of dung beetle iDNA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosie Drinkwater ◽  
Elizabeth L. Clare ◽  
Arthur Y. C. Chung ◽  
Stephen J. Rossiter ◽  
Eleanor M. Slade
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Dung Beetles ◽  
High Throughput Analysis ◽  
Humid Forest ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractThe application of environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling in biodiversity surveys has gained widespread acceptance, especially in aquatic systems where free eDNA can be readily collected by filtering water. In terrestrial systems, eDNA-based approaches for assaying vertebrate biodiversity have tended to rely on blood-feeding invertebrates, including leeches and mosquitoes (termed invertebrate-derived DNA or iDNA). However, a key limitation of using blood-feeding taxa as samplers is that they are difficult to trap, and, in the case of leeches, are highly restricted to humid forest ecosystems. Dung beetles (superfamily Scarabaeoidea) feed on the faecal matter of terrestrial vertebrates and offer several potential benefits over blood-feeding invertebrates as samplers of vertebrate DNA. Importantly, these beetles can be easily captured in large numbers using simple, inexpensive baited traps; are globally distributed; and also occur in a wide range of biomes, allowing mammal diversity to be compared across habitats. In this exploratory study, we test the potential utility of dung beetles as vertebrate samplers by sequencing the mammal DNA contained within their guts. First, using a controlled feeding experiment, we show that mammalian DNA can be retrieved from the guts of large dung beetles (Catharsius renaudpauliani) for up to 10 hours after feeding. Second, by combining high-throughput sequencing of a multi-species assemblage of dung beetles with PCR replicates, we show that multiple mammal taxa can be identified with high confidence. By providing preliminary evidence that dung beetles can be used as a source of mammal DNA, our study highlights the potential for this widespread group to be used in future biodiversity monitoring surveys.

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