Duration of Cattle Ranching Affects Dung Beetle Diversity and Secondary Seed Removal in Tropical Dry Forest Landscapes.

ABSTRACT: Cattle ranching is an economic activity responsible for the loss of large extensions of tropical dry forest around the world. Several studies have demonstrated that the use of inadequate practices of this activity in tropical forests (e.g., fire, agrochemicals, and lack of rotational grazing systems of cattle in pastures) have negative consequences on dung beetle diversity and their ecological functions. In the present study, the influence of the cattle ranching duration gradient on the diversity of dung beetles and seed removal was evaluated. This study was carried out in pastures with different times of establishment of cattle ranching (between 4 and 40 years) in a tropical dry forest of Mexico. Overall, the species richness of dung beetles was similar along the gradient of grazing ages.

SUBMITTER: Morales-Trejo JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11508350 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature