Exploring co-extinction correlates: the effects of habitat, biogeography and anthropogenic factors on ground squirrels–dung beetles associations

What is it about?

The loss of detritivorous insects upon the depletion of herbivore mammals has been poorly explored. Here, we predicted co-decline involving the decrease in scarab dung beetles diversity due to a reduction in the number of dens of the Asia minor ground squirrel in the Turkish steppe biome. We also evaluated the potential benefits provided by livestock in mitigating the decline of scarab beetle communities.

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Why is it important?

Outreach: this paper was indexed by the Biological Conservation Newsletter No. 328 (April 2012) edited by Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History