Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Response of copronecrophagous beetle communities to habitat disturbance in two mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone: influence of historical and ecological factors

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Journal of Insect Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We analyze the influence of historical and ecological factors on the diversity and composition of communities of copronecrophagous beetles associated with conserved and disturbed habitats on two mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone: one mountain of xeric (Las Derrumbadas) and the other of temperate (El Pinal) climate. We collected a total of 1113 beetles of 14 species. While abundance was similar between mountains, the number of species found on the temperate mountain (589 individuals: 11 species) was higher than on the xeric mountain (524 individuals: 5 species). On the temperate mountain, the disturbed habitat was approximately twice as diverse as the conserved habitat, while the opposite pattern was observed on the xeric mountain. Analysis of species turnover between mountains indicated the presence of two relatively different communities and the magnitude of the species turnover related to habitat disturbance depended on the type of mountain, having a higher turnover between habitat types in the temperate mountain. The xeric mountain was dominated by species belonging to the Paleoamerican Plateau distribution pattern, while the Paleoamerican Montane pattern dominated on the temperate mountain, whose species increased their abundance in disturbed habitats together with species of Nearctic affinity. Our results suggest a negative effect of habitat disturbance on the xeric mountain. While on the temperate mountain, beetle diversity seems to increase with disturbance. These results reiterate the need to consider regional-scale historical and ecological processes in order to understand the effects of disturbance and permit the establishment of conservation strategies to adequately protect the organisms, as well as the functions they provide for natural and anthropic ecosystems alike.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andresen E (2008) Dung beetle assemblages in primary forest and disturbed habitats in a tropical dry forest landscape in western Mexico. J Insect Conserv 12:639–650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arellano L, León-Cortés JL, Halffter G, Montero J (2013) Acacia woodlots, cattle and dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in a Mexican silvopastoral landscape. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 84:650–660

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arriaga A, Halffter G, Moreno C (2012) Biogeographical affinities and species richness of copronecrophagous beetles (Scarabaeoidea) in the southeastern Mexican High Plateau. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 83:519–529

    Google Scholar 

  • Barragán F, Moreno CE, Escobar F, Bueno-Villegas J, Halffter G (2014) The impact of grazing on dung beetle diversity depends on both biogeographical and ecological context. J Biogeogr 41:1991–2002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro-Goeva R, Siebe C (2007) Late Pleistocene–Holocene stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating of La Malinche volcano, Central Mexico. J Volcanol Geotherm Res 162:20–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceballos G, Oliva G (eds) (2005) Los mamíferos silvestres de México. CONABIO, UNAM, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Mexico City

    Google Scholar 

  • Challenger A (1998) Utilización y conservación de los ecosistemas terrestres de México: Pasado, presente y futuro. Comisión Nacional Para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, Mexico City

    Google Scholar 

  • Chao A, Jost L (2012) Coverage-based rarefaction and extrapolation: standardizing samples by completeness rather than size. Ecology 93:2533–2547

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chao A, Gotelli NG, Hsieh TC, Sander EL, Ma KH, Colwell RK, Ellison AM (2014) Rarefaction and extrapolation with Hill numbers: a framework for sampling and estimation in species diversity studies. Ecol Monogr 84:45–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charney N, Record S (2014) Package ʻvegetarianʼ. Version 1.2. Available in: http://packages.renjin.org/packages/vegetarian.html (consulted on 10 October 2014)

  • Chown SL, Klok CJ (2011) The ecological implications of physiological diversity in dung beetles. In: Simmons LW, Ridsdill-Smith TJ (eds) Ecology and evolution of dung beetles. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, West Sussex, pp 200–219

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Colwell RK, Chao A, Gotelli NJ, Lin SY, Mao CX, Chazdon RL, Longino JT (2012) Models and estimator linking individual-based and sample-based rarefaction, extrapolation and comparison of assemblages. J Plant Ecol 5:3–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Escobar F, Lobo JM, Halffter G (2006) Assessing the origin of Neotropical mountain dung beetle assemblages (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): the comparative influence of vertical and horizontal colonization. J Biogeogr 33:1793–1803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Escobar F, Halffter G, Arellano L (2007) From forest to pasture: an evaluation of the influence of environment and biogeography on the structure of dung beetle (Scarabaeinae) assemblages along three altitudinal gradients in the Neotropical region. Ecography 30:193–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Favila ME (2012) Historical, biogeographical and ecological factors explain the success of some native dung beetles after the introduction of cattle in Mexico. Pastos 42:161–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Favila ME, Halffter G (1997) The use of indicator groups for measuring biodiversity as related to community structure and function. Acta Zoológica Mexicana (ns) 72:1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferro I, Morrone JJ (2014) Biogeographical transition zones: a research for conceptual synthesis. Biol J Linn Soc 113:1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill BD (1991) Dung beetles in tropical American forests. In: Hanski I, Cambefort Y (eds) Dung beetle ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, pp 211–229

  • Halffter G (1964) La entomofauna americana: ideas acerca de su origen y distribución. Folia Entomológica Mexicana 6:1–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G (1987) Biogeography of the montane entomofauna of Mexico and Central America. Annu Rev Entomol 32:144–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G (2003) Biogeografía de la fauna de montaña de México y América Central. In: Morrone JJ, Llorente-Bousquets J (eds) Una perspectiva latinoamericana de la biogeografía. Las Prensas de Ciencias, UNAM, México City, pp 87–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G (2007) Reservas archipiélago: Un nuevo tipo de área protegida. In: Halffter G, Guevara S, Melic A (eds) Hacia una cultura de conservación de la diversidad biológica. S.E.A., Zaragoza, pp 281–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G, Arellano L (2002) Response of dung beetle diversity to human-induced changes in a tropical landscape. Biotropica 34:144–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G, Edmonds WD (1982) The nesting behavior of dung beetles (Scarabaeinae)—An ecological and evolutive approach. Instituto de Ecología A.C., Mexico City

    Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G, Matthews EG (1966) The natural history of dung beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae. Folia Entomológica Mexicana 12–14:1–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Halffter G, Verdú JR, Moreno CE, Halffter V (2012) Historical and ecological determinants of dung beetle assemblages in two arid zones of central Mexico. J Arid Environ 76:54–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanski I (1991) From saprophagy to coprophagy. In: Hanski I, Cambefort Y (eds) Dung beetle ecology. Princeton University Press, Princeton, pp 22–35

  • Hill MO (1973) Diversity and evenness: a unifying notation and its consequences. Ecology 54:427–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, TC, Ma, KH, Chao A (2014) iNEXT: iNterpolation and EXTrapolation for species diversity. Version 2.0. Available in: http://chao.stat.nthu.edu.tw/blog/software-download (consulted on 1 December 2014)

  • INEGI (2013) Marco Geoestadístico Nacional. Available in: http://www.inegi.org.mx/ (consulted on 17 May 2014)

  • INIFAP (2014) Red de estaciones del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias. Available in: http://clima.inifap.gob.mx/ (consulted on 17 May 2014)

  • Jay-Robert P, Lumaret JP, Lebreton JD (2008) Spatial and temporal variation of mountain dung beetles assemblages and their relationships with environmental factors (Aphodiinae: Geotrupinae: Scarabaeinae). Ann Entomol Soc Am 101:58–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jost L (2006) Entropy and diversity. Oikos 113:363–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jost L (2007) Partitioning diversity into independent alpha and beta components. Ecology 88:2427–2439

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jost L, DeVries P, Walla T, Greeney H, Chao A, Ricotta C (2010) Partitioning diversity for conservation analyses. Divers Distrib 15:65–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lobo JM, Halffter G (2000) Biogeographical and ecological factors affecting the altitudinal variation of mountainous communities of coprophagous beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea): A comparative study. Conservation Biology Biodiversiy 93:115–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobo JM, Hortal J, Cabrero-Sañudo FJ (2006) Regional and local influence of grazing activity on the diversity of a semi-arid dung beetle community. Divers Distrib 12:111–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lumaret JP, Stiernet N (1994) Adaptation and evolutive strategies of dung beetles in high mountains (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea). Ecologie 25:79–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Medina CA, Escobar F, Kattan GH (2002) Diversity and habitat use of dung beetles in a restored Andean landscape. Biotropica 34:181–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrone JJ (2004) Panbiogeografía, componentes bióticos y zonas de transición. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 48:149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morrone JJ (2015) Halffter´s Mexican Transition Zone (1962–2014), cenocrons and evolutionary biogeography. J Zool Syst Evol Res. doi:10.1111/jzs.12098

    Google Scholar 

  • Navarrete-Heredia JL (2009) Silphidae (Coleoptera) de México: diversidad y distribución. Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara

    Google Scholar 

  • New TR (2010) Beetles in conservation. Wiley and Sons Ltd, West Sussex

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nichols E, Gardner TA (2011) Dung beetles as a candidate study taxon in applied biodiversity conservation research. In: Simmons LW, Ridsdill-Smith J (eds) Dung beetle ecology and evolution. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, pp 267–291

  • Nichols E, Spector S, Louzada J, Larsen T, Amezquita S, Favila ME, The Scarabaeinae Research Network (2008) Ecological functions and ecosystem services provided by Scarabaeinae dung beetles. Biol Conserv 141:1461–1474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen J (2013) Multivariate analysis of ecological communities in R: vegan tutorial. Available on: http://vegan.r-forge.r-project.org/

  • Palestrini C, Barbero E, Rolando A (1998) Intra-and interspecific aggregation among dung beetles (Coleptera: Scarabaeoidea) in an alpine pasture. J Zool 245:101–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peck SB, Anderson RS (1985) Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the carrion beetles of Latin America (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Quaestiones Entomologicae 21:247–317

    Google Scholar 

  • R development Core TEAM (2012) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Version 3.1.1. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Available on: http://www.r-project.org/

  • Romero-Alcaraz E, Avila JM (2000) Effect of elevation and type of habitat on the abundance and diversity of Scarabaeoid dung beetle (Scarabaeoidea) assemblages in a Mediterranean area from southern Iberian Peninsula. Zool Stud 39:351–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Rös M, Escobar F, Halffter G (2012) How dung beetles respond to a human-modified variegated landscape in Mexican cloud forest: a study of biodiversity integrating ecological and biogeographical perspectives. Divers Distrib 18:377–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scholtz CH, Davis ALV, Kryger U (2009) Evolutionary biology and conservation of dung beetles. Pensoft, Sofia-Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Siebe C, Verma SP (1988) Major element geochemistry and tectonic setting of Las Derrumbadas rhyolitic domes, Puebla, Mexico. Chem Erde 48:177–189

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spector S (2006) Scarabaeinae dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae): an invertebrate focal taxon for biodiversity research and conservation. Coleopterists Bull Monogr 5:71–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verdú JR, Crespo MB, Galante E (2000) Conservation strategy of a nature reserve in Mediterranean ecosystems: the effects of protection from grazing on biodiversity. Biodivers Conserv 9:1707–1721

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verdú JR, Moreno CE, Sánchez-Rojas G, Numa C, Galante E, Halffter G (2007) Grazing promotes dung beetle diversity in the xeric landscape of a Mexican Biosphere Reserve. Biol Conserv 140:308–317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker R (1972) Evolution and measurement of species diversity. Taxon 21:213–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox D, Dove B, McDavid WW, Greer DB (2002) ImageTool. Version 3.0. Disponible en: http://compdent.uthscsa.edu/dig/itdesc.html

  • Wolf JM, Gibbs JP (2004) Silphids in urban forests: diversity and function. Urban Ecosyst 7:371–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zunino M (1991) Food relocation behavior: a multivalent strategy of Coleoptera. In: Zunino M, Bellés X, Blas M (eds) Advances in Coleopterology. Asociación Europea de Coleopterología, Barcelona, pp 297–314

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mario Zunino (Onthophagus) and Marco Dellacasa (Aphodiinae) for their invaluable help in the identification of corresponding species. Fernando Escobar, Margoth Acuña and Alfonsina Arriaga provided assistance with the fieldwork. The first author is grateful to CONACYT-Mexico, for the grant awarded for postgraduate studies (No. 346009). We are grateful to the General Directorate for Special Project designation (No. 20035/30916) of the Instituto de Ecología, A.C. The authors thank Keith MacMillan for translating the English version of this manuscript from the original.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ecología A. C., Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, Colonia El Haya, 91070, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

    Victor Moctezuma, Gonzalo Halffter & Federico Escobar

Authors
  1. Victor Moctezuma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gonzalo Halffter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Federico Escobar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Victor Moctezuma.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 22 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Moctezuma, V., Halffter, G. & Escobar, F. Response of copronecrophagous beetle communities to habitat disturbance in two mountains of the Mexican Transition Zone: influence of historical and ecological factors. J Insect Conserv 20, 945–956 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-016-9923-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-016-9923-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation