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Dung beetles are critical in preventing post-dispersal seed removal by rodents in Congo rain forest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

David Beaune ,
Loïc Bollache ,
François Bretagnolle  and
Barbara Fruth
David Beaune*
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Leipzig, Germany Laboratoire Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
Loïc Bollache
Affiliation:
Laboratoire Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
François Bretagnolle
Affiliation:
Laboratoire Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS 6282, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
Barbara Fruth
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Primatology, Leipzig, Germany
*
1Corresponding author. Email: david.beaune@gmail.com
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Extract

Dung beetles (Scarabaeidae subfamily Scarabaeinae) are ubiquitous and play an important role in the removal of animal dung and the dispersal of seeds embedded therein. They exhibit a range of dung-acquisition and burying behaviours, from burying dung directly beneath the dung deposit to rolling dung balls up to several metres. Dung beetles act as important agents for secondary seed dispersal and seed survival: the burial of seeds is said to be of advantage against predators and desiccation (Andresen & Feer 2005, Culot et al. 2009, Feer 1999). In addition, burial of seeds by dung beetles is considered beneficial as seeds are not only deposited within the range of depths that are favourable for seedling establishment but also among organic fertilizer that is said to increase seedling growth rates (Andresen 1999, 2002; Estrada & Coates-Estrada 1991, Shepherd & Chapman 1998).

Keywords

Democratic Republic of CongoCricetomys eminidung beetleScarabaeidaesecondary dispersalseed predationzoochory
Type
Short Communication
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , September 2012 , pp. 507 - 510
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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