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Effects of land usage on dung beetle assemblage structure: Kruger National Park versus adjacent farmland in South Africa

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Abstract

Little quantitative evidence exists regarding how effective protected areas are for preserving species. We compared dung beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) inside and outside of the Kruger National Park, which protects indigenous flora and fauna over a large area of savanna in the northeast lowlands of South Africa. Although it is contiguous with other reserves in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, parts of its border abut onto farmland. Some effects of differing land usage either side of this border were studied at the South African Wildlife College (24.541° S 31.335° E) and the nearby farming village of Welverdiend using dung beetle assemblage structure (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) as indicators. Samples were taken from gabbro-derived and granite-derived soils in open woody vegetation, both within the reserve and on adjoining farmland, using composite pig, elephant and cattle dung baits in the early rainy season (November 2009) and separate pig and elephant dung baits in the late rainy season (March 2010). Despite much higher large mammal density around Welverdiend, significantly greater species richness, abundance, and biomass of dung beetles were recorded in the reserve where mammal species diversity is greater and elephants produce much larger droppings than any mammal in the farmland. Assemblage structure also differed strongly between dung types, weather conditions on sample days, and season, but weakly between sampled soil types. These differences in assemblage structure were recorded over short distances as the sites in the reserve were only 3–4 km from those in farmland at Welverdiend.

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Acknowledgments

Gawie Lindeque, senior field co-ordinator at the South African Wildlife College, assisted in the selection of study sites. Staff and post graduate students of the Scarab Research Unit, University of Pretoria, are thanked for conducting the field work (Werner Strümpher, Cornel du Toit, Carmen Jacobs) as well as assisting in the sorting of samples (Dr Catherine Sole, Christian Deschodt, Suko Mlambo, Louwtjie Snyman, Angelika Switala, Power Tshikae, Rentia Tukker). Joel Tleane (Kruger National Park) and Dawn Mahlobo (South African Weather Service) are thanked for providing rainfall and temperature data. The study was suggested and supported by the Ndlovu Node of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scarab Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa

    Adrian L. V. Davis & Clarke H. Scholtz

  2. South African Environmental Observation Network, SAEON Ndlovu Node, Private Bag X1021, Kruger National Park, 1390, South Africa

    Anthony M. Swemmer

Authors
  1. Adrian L. V. Davis
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  2. Clarke H. Scholtz
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  3. Anthony M. Swemmer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adrian L. V. Davis.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 6.

Table 6 Dung beetle species inventory (113 spp.)** and abundance on two soil types (November 2009) and two dung types (March 2010) at the South African Wildlife College (Kruger National Park = KNP) and in nearby farmland (Welverdiend)
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Davis, A.L.V., Scholtz, C.H. & Swemmer, A.M. Effects of land usage on dung beetle assemblage structure: Kruger National Park versus adjacent farmland in South Africa. J Insect Conserv 16, 399–411 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-011-9426-3

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