Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Monkeys, and Conservation in Amazonia
Abstract
Dung beetles are important in several ecological processes, including nutrient recycling, soil aeration, the transport of other organisms, and the burial of vertebrate dispersed and defecated seeds. Dung beetle species vary widely in their abilities as seed dispersers. The biomass of beetle species that bury no seeds, bury small seeds only, or bury small and large seeds, is significantly different among sites along the Amazon River. The abundance of monkeys that act as high quality seed dispersers also varies at different sites. Implications of these differences in seed dispersal dynamics are discussed. Recent clearing and disturbance of primary forest is having an effect on the populations of primary and secondary seed dispersers, and suggestions for conservation of these critical faunas are presented.Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.