The Effect of Dung Beetle Size on Soil Nutrient Mobilization in an Afrotropical Forest.

Roisin Stanbrook,Charles Philip Wheater,Edwin Harris,Martin Jones

doi:10.3390/insects12020141

Roisin Stanbrook, Charles Philip Wheater + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12020141

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Abstract

Simple SummaryDung beetles are known to instigate and provide a number of services, which benefit humankind. In addition to feeding on mammal dung, dung beetles also use dung to form underground brood balls which are used for larval development. This process instigates several ecological functions, such as dung removal and nutrient cycling. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of dung removal in pastoral and natural habitats but the effect of dung beetle body size on the amount of nutrients transferred when dung is buried remains unclear. In this preliminary study, we investigate the role of African dung beetle body size in nutrient cycling. We analyzed the nutrient content of soil directly underneath dung pats using three treatments containing dung beetles of varying sizes and one control treatment without beetles over a 112-day period. Our data show that dung beetle body size has a significant effect on the quantity of macronutrients transferred over time and that dung beetle body size is an important factor in the type and amount of nutrients transferred.Despite recognition of its importance, little is known about functional aspects of soil macrofauna. Here, we investigated the effect of dung beetle body size on macronutrient movement (N, P, K, and C) from elephant dung into soil over 112 days in an Afrotropical forest. We report a large overall effect where more macronutrients are moved into soil over time when beetles are present compared to a control treatment. We also report a large effect of beetle body size on the amount of macronutrient movement, with larger dung beetles moving more nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and carbon from baseline measurements when compared to smaller sized dung beetles. The presence of smaller sized dung beetles showed a significant positive effect on potassium and phosphorus transfer only. We provide the first experimental evidence that the body size of African dungs directly influences the type of macronutrients recycled and discuss the importance of dung beetle body size for maintaining soil fertility.

Highlights

IntroductionSoil nutrient recycling is fundamental to the maintenance of global ecosystem services
We investigated the effect of body size in paracoprid dung beetles on soil macronutrient recycling in an equatorial African forest ecosystem
Despite being limited in sample size this study provides clear evidence that dung beetle body size has a significant effect on the amount of nutrients cycled into soils

Summary

Introduction

Soil nutrient recycling is fundamental to the maintenance of global ecosystem services. It has been suggested that soil be viewed as natural capital that contributes to ecosystem function by maintaining the bioavailability of nutrients and physical structure of the environment [1,2], as well as contributing to human and food security [3]. There is much evidence that soil contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem stability, e.g., through the regulation of the microclimate and the control of pathogens [4]. Soil arthropods defined as fauna that alter the physical structure of soil have received relatively little research attention for their role in ecosystem service provision [5]. The function and importance of dung in nutrient cycling is understudied despite being

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