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Dung beetles in pasture landscapes of Central America: proliferation of synanthropogenic species and decline of forest specialists

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Abstract

This study examines the spread of synanthropogenic dung beetles (species favoured by human activities) in pasture landscapes in Central America, and evaluates the role of forest fragments and regenerating patches of native vegetation in maintaining beetle diversity. Pitfall trapping was carried out at nine locations in El Salvador and seven in Atlantic Nicaragua that included both pasture and remnant or regenerating native vegetation. More dung beetle species occurred in forest fragments than in pastures. Community composition differed considerably between forest fragments from El Salvador and Nicaragua with many species restricted to either the Caribbean or Pacific regions. In contrast, dung beetle community composition and structure were largely the same in the pastures of El Salvador and Nicaragua, regardless of region or original habitat-type, and were similar to published results from pastures in Mexico and elsewhere on the Isthmus. Very small patches of native shrubs and tree stands (<2.5 ha) maintained no forest specialists in Nicaragua, whereas, in El Salvador, some forest specialists occurred even in the smallest stands of trees (ca. 0.25 ha). The study indicates that the expansion of cattle pastures has caused a regional decline in dung beetle diversity. Forest fragments and small isolated patches of native trees and shrubs maintain some of the diversity of the original landscape but their conservation value for dung beetles will depend on the biogeographical history of the sites.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks the Agronomy Faculty of the University of El Salvador for access and transport to the Comalapa field site, the land owners who allowed access to their properties in El Salvador and Nicaragua, APSO-Cooperación Técnica Irlandesa for support during an SSO-Assignment to Nicaragua, Vilma Valencia Duran for help with Salvadoran field surveys, Enio Cano, François Génier, Bruce Gill, and Angel Solís for help in beetle identification; Mary Coffey, Norma O’Hea, Dan Quiring and two anonymous reviewers for many helpful suggestions that improved the manuscript; and students and staff at La Universidad de las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense (URACCAN) for their support and interest.

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  1. Finbarr G. Horgan

    Present address: Teagasc, Oak Park Research Centre, Carlow, Co. Carlow, Ireland

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  1. Escuela de Biología, Universidad de El Salvador, Final 25 Avenida Norte, San Salvador, El Salvador

    Finbarr G. Horgan

  2. Universidad de Las Regiones Autónomas de la Costa Caribe Nicaragüense (URACCAN), Bluefields, Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur, Nicaragua

    Finbarr G. Horgan

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  1. Finbarr G. Horgan
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Correspondence to Finbarr G. Horgan.

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Horgan, F.G. Dung beetles in pasture landscapes of Central America: proliferation of synanthropogenic species and decline of forest specialists. Biodivers Conserv 16, 2149–2165 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-006-9145-3

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