ABSTRACT
The promotion of biodiversity conservation strategies must address the lack of information and the difficulty of identifying knowledge gaps that may facilitate our knowledge of different taxonomic groups. Dung beetles constitute one of those groups, despite having been proposed as an efficient bioindicator of environmental disturbance processes. In this work, we aimed to prepare a diagnosis on the state of knowledge of the subfamily Scarabaeinae, focusing on the cover sampling degree of this group in Colombia, with the purpose of identifying high-priority areas that will allow the completion of a national inventory. The work consisted of a bibliographical compilation using 12 referential databases and the examination of specimens deposited in 26 national collections. A total of 16 940 individuals were examined, finding registers for 232 species from 386 localities. The respective distribution cover maps were presented, and the cover at a national level was 10.62%. A historical analysis demonstrated a proliferation in the number of studies for the last three decades; nevertheless, a great proportion of unpublished works persists, resulting in only 64 sampled localities with published records. The localities with the greatest sampling efforts were RN La Planada, Lloro, AUN Los Estoraques, PNN Tinigua and Mariquita. Registries for all departments were available, and the best sampled ones were Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca and Boyaca. The ecosystems with the greatest number of publications are the Andean pre mountain humid forest, followed by the Andean mountain humid forest and the Pacific humid forest. Other ecosystems with few studies included mangroves, desert zones, natural savannahs, palm swamps, paramos, flooding forests and agroforestry systems. The biogeographic region with the greatest number of localities was the Andean region, followed by Choco-Magdalenense and Amazonia. Our results showed that high levels of subsampling persist and that some zones lack registries, as in the case of some parks of the national system of protected areas. It is imperative that the sampling cover is extended at a national level, focusing all possible efforts on collecting in those subsampled regions that have high conservation importance, with the main goal of completing the listing of species and their distribution. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (1): 97-125. Epub 2015 March 01.
Una de las principales limitantes para generar estrategias para la conservación, es la falta de información y la dificultad para identificar vacíos de conocimiento, que faciliten el entendimiento de un grupo taxonómico. En este trabajo desarrollamos el diagnóstico sobre el grado de cobertura del muestreo de escarabajos coprófagos en Colombia. Se recopiló la bibliografía, utilizando 12 bases de datos y se revisaron 16 940 especímenes depositados en 26 colecciones. Se encontraron 232 especies, en 386 localidades, con un porcentaje de cobertura del 10.62%. Se evidencia en los últimos años un incremento en el número de estudios, sin embargo solo 64 localidades tienen publicaciones. Se encontraron registros para todos los departamentos, siendo los mejor muestreados: Cundinamarca, Antioquia, Valle del Cauca y Boyacá. Los ecosistemas con mayor número de publicaciones son el bosque húmedo premontano Andino, el bosque húmedo montano Andino y el bosque húmedo del Pacífico. Sin embargo, existen muchos ecosistemas con muy pocos estudios como los manglares, zonas desérticas, savanas naturales, morichales, páramos, bosques inundables y sistemas agrícolas. La región biogeográfica con mayor número de localidades es la Andina, seguida del Chocó-Magdalenense y la Amazonía. A nivel general, persiste un alto nivel de submuestreo. Se evidencia la necesidad de ampliar la cobertura del muestreo a nivel nacional, enfocando los esfuerzos en aquellas áreas submuestreadas con importancia a nivel de conservación.
Subject(s)
Animals , Biodiversity , Coleoptera/classification , Colombia , Population DensityABSTRACT
Insects have been recognized to be important indicators of the quality elements of ecosystems, among others, because of their rapid response to environmental variability and ease cost-effective capture. In this work we evaluated whether beetles of the Scarabaeoidea superfamily may be used as bioindicators of anthropogenic disturbance of Amazonian terra firme rain forests, in order to provide guidelines for monitoring strategies of the Amacayacu National Park. We considered three different levels of anthropogenic disturbance (i.e. low, medium, high) in 12 transects (four in each intervention level), and caught all beetle species of this superfamily. Three interception traps, two light traps, three pitfalls and four bottle fruit traps were used per transect, as well as manual catch. In total, 593 individuals belonging to 92 species, 44 genera and seven families were collected. Scarabaeidae (n=232, 27 spp.) and Dynastidae (n=161, 26 spp.) were the families with the highest number of individuals and species, while Aphodiidae, Cetoniidae and Geotrupidae exhibited the lowest. The most abundant species per family were Ateuchus sp. (33.2%) from Scarabaeidae, Cyclocephala verticalis (55.9%) from Dynastidae, Astaena sp. (75.8%) from Melolonthidae, Ceratocanthus amazonicus (66.7%) from Ceratocanthidae y Chaetodus asuai (96.8%) from Hybosoridae. Results showed that the number of species and individuals increased with the anthropogenic disturbance. The Margalef and Shannon indexes also revealed that the highest richness and equity occurred in the high-disturbed site, respectively. Dynastidae exhibited the highest number of exclusive species per gradient, while Scarabaeidae shared most of its species. Ten species were recorded in the three disturbance levels, 26 species in two and 56 species were exclusive to one level. The most abundant species Chaetodus asuai (Hybosoridae) presented a significant decrease in the number of individuals as disturbance increased, while an inverse relationship occurred for C. verticalis(Dynastidae). For Astaena sp. (Melolonthidae) and Ligyrus gyas (Dynastidae) a high number of individuals was recorded and were exclusive for one forest site (low and high disturbed forest, respectively). The complete superfamily cannot be used like a single bioindicator element because it displays, in a specific level, very different behaviors in each disturbance condition. We discuss the use of richness and diversity as indicators of disturbance, while we highlight abundance of particular taxa as a better metric for disturbance.
Diferentes grupos de insectos se consideran importantes elementos bioindicadores de la calidad de los ecosistemas, los coleópteros son hoy en día uno de los grupos más reconocidos y utilizados para el monitoreo y establecimiento de áreas protegidas. Se evaluó el uso de la superfamilia Scarabaeoidea como bioindicador del grado de perturbación antropogénica de los bosques húmedos amazónicos. En tres niveles de perturbación (alta, media y baja) se establecieron 12 transectos, utilizando tres trampas de interceptación, dos trampas de luz, tres trampas de caída, cuatro trampas de botella y captura manual. Se capturaron 593 individuos, 92 especies, 44 géneros y 7 familias. Las familias con el mayor número de individuos y especies fueron Scarabaeidae (n=232, 27 spp.) y Dynastidae (n=161, 26 spp.). Las especies más abundantes fueron: Ateuchus sp., Cyclocephala verticalis, Ceratocanthus amazonicus y Chaetodus asuai. El número de especies e individuos fue mayor a medida que el gradiente de perturbación aumentó. Dynastidae presenta el mayor número de especies exclusivas mientras Scarabaeidae comparte la mayoría. Diez especies fueron registradas en los tres bosques, 26 en dos y 56 en solo uno. De las especies más abundantes C. asuai muestra una reducción significativa del número de individuos con el aumento de la perturbación, mientras se observa una relación inversa para C. verticalis. Se discute la utilización de la riqueza y la diversidad como indicadores de perturbación, mientras se ratifica la abundancia de ciertos táxones como una mejor variable a medir.
Subject(s)
Animals , Biodiversity , Biomass , Coleoptera/classification , Conservation of Natural Resources , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Colombia , Population DensityABSTRACT
The introduced dung beetle Digitonthophagus Gazella was reported for the Caribbean Region of Colombia in the 90's. During a survey carried out along the Magdalena river, new records of the presence of this species were found in the departments of Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Santander and Tolima for the first time.
El escarabajo coprófago introducido Digitonthophagus Gazella fue reportado en la región Caribe de Colombia en los años 90. Durante un estudio que se realizó a lo largo del río Magdalena nuevos registros de la presencia de esta especie se reportan para los departamentos de Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Santander y Tolima por primera vez.