Cumulative annual dung beetle diversity in Mediterranean seasonal environments |
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Authors: | Rossana Agoglitta Claudia E Moreno Mario Zunino Gabriella Bonsignori Marco Dellacasa |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Uomo, dell’Ambiente e della Natura, Universit? degli Studi di Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Localit? Crocicchia, 61029 Urbino, Italy;(2) Centro de Investigaciones Biol?gicas, Universidad Aut?noma del Estado de Hidalgo, Apdo. postal 69, Plaza Ju?rez, 42001 Pachuca, Hgo, Mexico;(3) CRIM Lab, Polo Sant’Anna Valdera, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio, 34, Pontedera, 56025 Pisa, Italy;(4) Centro Interdipartimentale Museo di Storia Naturale e del Territorio, Universit? di Pisa, via Roma, 79, 56011 Calci, Italy |
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Abstract: | Species diversity assessments should consider the dynamic nature of ecological communities, especially in highly seasonal
ecosystems. Here we provide a comprehensive framework for analysing seasonal changes in species composition, richness and
diversity in two local dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Aphodiidae, Geotrupidae, and Scarabaeidae) communities from
Western Tuscany (Italy), in the Mediterranean ecoregion. We test whether, in this highly seasonal region, cumulative annual
diversity is an oversimplification of well differentiated seasonal communities. Data were obtained through repeated standardised
samples collected regularly over an entire year. We clearly identify different summer and winter communities at each site
based on species composition and abundance. Seasonal richness and diversity values are different from the cumulative annual
values, as a consequence of beta diversity between seasons, and some dung beetle species are identified as idiosyncratic of
each particular season. Both ecological (niche partitioning) and biogeographical factors are suggested as drivers of these
temporal variations. Thus, because local inventories of fauna that include records over long time periods actually reflect
situations where coexistence and interactions are unlikely to occur, highly seasonal sites must be viewed as having temporally
differentiated communities in order to reach feasible and reliable baselines for local diversity assessments. |
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