Effect of uncontrolled forest fires on the coprophagous beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a temperate forest in Central Mexico

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of changes in vegetation and soil, resulting from an uncontrolled forestfire, in the dung beetles assemblage (Scarabaeinae and Aphodiinae) in a temperate forest in central Mexico. Inburned, unburned, and edge sites, soil and vegetation characteristics were measured, and dung beetles were sampledmonthly (including over 2 rainy seasons). A total of 6 786 specimens of 6 species were obtained. Both subfamilieswere more abundant at the burned and edge sites, though these differences were not significant. The texture, relativehumidity and carbon and nitrogen content of the soil were significantly different, as were the dominance-diversityrelationships for the dung beetles assemblages among sites. Monthly species abundance varied significantly amongspecies, months and their interaction. Although the fire did not appear to have a significant impact on the dung beetleassemblage in the short term, there was a significant decrease in the abundance of species during the second rainyseason.