Efectos del uso del suelo sobre la diversidad funcional de los escarabajos coprófagos (Scarabaeinae: Scarabaeidae: Coleoptera) en el sur del Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: Dung beetles are excellent indicators of the ecological integrity of ecosystems, playing a substantial functional role in nutrient recycling, fertilization,and soil aeration. However, very little is known about the relationship between land use and ecosystem functionality. Therefore, the effect of land use on the functional diversity of dung beetles was analyzed through morphological traits. The beetles were sampled in three land uses: forest, pine,and eucalyptus inthe Saraguro-Loja canton. Pitfall traps were installed in each land use. 161 dung beetles belonging to four species were collected. The forest presented the highest abundancein relation to the forest plantations studied. The species that stood out for its greater abundance was Homocopris buckleyi(n=161). Significance was presented between sampling stations, and, at the species level, they share similarities between the three uses. The most significant traits in functional diversity: HW, HL, PL, PH, PW, EL, pTL, and mTL, are shown in forest and eucalyptus.Thus demonstrating that forest plantations do affectthe functional diversity of coprophagous beetles.