Dung Beetle Diversity and Community Composition Along a Land Use Gradient in a Savannah Ecosystem of North Western Tanzania

Habitat loss and degradation are the most widely cited drivers of changes in species abundance and diversity. We explored changes in dung beetle species diversity and composition across different land uses in the north west Tanzanian savannah. We expected a negative response gradient in the diversity and composition of the dung beetle community, from land uses that preserve vegetation and hold native mammal diversity to livestock intensive and heavily grazed areas. Dung beetles were sampled in a protected area and two anthropogenically influenced land use types. Species richness and composition of each land use type, including differences in diversity and functional groups were analyzed and indicator species for each land use gradient were identified. As expected, diversity and community composition varied between areas with less environmental change compared to those impacted anthropogenically. We conclude that conservation of protected areas within African savannahs can provide a functionally rich dung beetle community and subsequently rich ecological functions. The dung beetle species identified by this study as eco-indicators can be used as a benchmark for future studies that use rapid monitoring to assess disturbance in African savannas.