In this Book
- Dung Beetle Ecology
- Book
- 2014
- Published by: Princeton University Press
- Series: Princeton Legacy Library
In many ecosystems dung beetles play a crucial role--both ecologically and economically--in the decomposition of large herbivore dung. Their activities provide scientists with an excellent opportunity to explore biological community dynamics. This collection of essays offers a concise account of the population and community ecology of dung beetles worldwide, with an emphasis on comparisons between arctic, temperate, and tropical species assemblages. Useful insights arise from relating the vast differences in species' life histories to their population and community-level consequences. The authors also discuss changes in dung beetle faunas due to human-caused habitat alteration and examine the possible effects of introducing dung beetles to cattle-breeding areas that lack efficient native species. "With the expansion of cattle breeding areas, the ecology of dung beetles is a subject of great economic concern as well as one of intense theoretical interest. This excellent book represents an up-to-date ecological study covering important aspects of the dung beetle never before presented."--Gonzalo Halffter, Instituto de Ecologia, Mexico City
Originally published in 1991.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Table of Contents
- List of Contributors
- pp. ix-x
- Acknowledgments
- p. xiii
- Part 1: Introduction
- pp. 3-6
- 1. The Dung Insect Community
- pp. 7-23
- 2. From Saprophagy to Coprophagy
- pp. 24-37
- 3. Dung Beetle Population Biology
- pp. 38-58
- 4. Biogeography and Evolution
- pp. 59-88
- 5. North Temperate Dung Beetles
- pp. 95-116
- 6. South Temperate Dung Beetles
- pp. 117-135
- 7. Dung Beetles in Subtropical North America
- pp. 136-152
- 8. Dung Beetles of Southern Africa
- pp. 153-175
- 9. Dung Beetles in Tropical Savannas
- pp. 176-198
- 13. Dung Beetles of the Sahel Region
- pp. 250-261
- 14. Montane Dung Beetles
- pp. 262-274
- Part 3: Synthesis
- pp. 299-302
- 16. Spatial Processes
- pp. 303-324
- 17. Competition in Dung Beetles
- pp. 325-349
- 18. Resource Partitioning
- pp. 350-369
- 19. Species Richness
- pp. 370-385
- 20. Epilogue
- pp. 386-392
- Appendixes
- pp. 393-440
- References
- pp. 441-484
- Index of Genera
- pp. 485-494