Using dung beetles to evaluate the effects of urbanization on Atlantic Forest biodiversity

• Published in: Insect science 2013-06, Vol.20 (3), p.393-406
• Main Authors: Korasaki, Vanesca, Lopes, José, Gardner Brown, George, Louzada, Julio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Animals; Biodiversity; bioindicator; Brazil; Coleoptera - classification; Coleoptera - physiology; coprophagous beetles; Feeding Behavior - physiology; food preference; fragmentation; habitat loss; Musa; Species Specificity; Trees; urban matrix; Urban Renewal; 城市化; 大西洋; 森林城市; 森林生物多样性; 物种组成; 蜣螂; 行业协会; 评价
• ISSN: 1672-9609; 1744-7917
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7917.2012.01509.x

We used dung beetles to evaluate the impact of urbanization on insect biodiversity in three Atlantic Forest fragments in Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the impact of urbanization on richness, abundance, composition and guild structure of dung beetle communities from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We evaluated the community aspects (abundance, richness, composition and food guilds) of dung beetles in fragments with different degrees of immersion in the urban matrix using pitfall traps with four alternative baits (rotten meat, rotten fish, pig dung and decaying banana). A total of 1 719 individuals were collected, belonging to 29 species from 11 genera and six Scarabaeinae tribes. The most urban‐immersed fragment showed a higher species dominance and the beetle community captured on dung presented the greatest evenness. The beetle communities were distinct with respect to the fragments and feeding habits. Except for the dung beetle assemblage in the most urbanized forest fragment, all others exhibited contrasting differences in species composition attracted to each bait type. Our results clearly show that the degree of urbanization affects Atlantic Forest dung beetle communities and that the preservation of forest fragments inside the cities, even small ones, can provide refuges for Scarabaeinae.