Effects of logging road networks on the ecological functions of dung beetles in Peninsular Malaysia
Effects of logging road networks on the ecological functions of dung beetles in Peninsular Malaysia
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DOI：
10.1016/j.foreco.2014.04.004
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发表时间：
2014-08
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
T. Hosaka;Masahiro Niino;M. Kon;T. Ochi;T. Yamada;C. Fletcher;T. Okuda
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
T. Hosaka;Masahiro Niino;M. Kon;T. Ochi;T. Yamada;C. Fletcher;T. Okuda
在热带国家，由于人为干扰而造成的森林生物多样性的丧失是严重的，其对生态功能的影响是全球关注的问题。选择性采伐是热带森林退化的主要原因之一，其生态影响往往源于防滑道、采伐道路和原木场等道路网络的建设。然而，很少有人研究这种狭窄的道路清理对依赖森林的物种和相关生态功能的影响。因此，本研究的目的是评估这种清除对粪埋和二次种子传播的蜣螂的影响。丰富的所有功能的公会和总生物量的蜣螂是在道路清理急剧下降，但公会的组成只有显着不同的森林内部和原木堆场。粪便掩埋率下降，树冠开放，其中40%的粪便仍然未埋在伐木道路和日志码。然而，粪堆中的珠子（种子模拟物）比森林内部埋得更深，更频繁地埋在原木场。与此相反，水平种子清除距离较长的森林内部比在所有道路清理网站。减少粪便掩埋率，更深，但更短，清除种子意味着道路清理的二次种子传播的效率和其他生态功能的蜣螂的负面影响。限制伐木道路网的数量和规模将有效地保留各种依赖森林的物种在伐木后发挥的生态功能。
The loss of forest biodiversity via anthropogenic disturbance is severe in tropical countries and its consequences to ecological functions are of global concern. Selective logging is one of the main causes of tropical forest degradation, and its ecological impacts often result from the construction of road networks such as skid trails, logging roads and log yards. However, the effects of such narrow road clearings on forest-dependent species and associated ecological functions have rarely been studied. The present study therefore aimed to assess the impacts of such clearings on dung burial and secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles. The abundance of all functional guilds and the total biomass of dung beetles were drastically low at road clearings, but guild composition was only significantly different between the forest interior and log yards. Dung burial rates decreased with canopy openness, where 40% of dung remained unburied at logging roads and log yards. However, beads (seed mimics) in the dung piles were buried deeper and more frequently in log yards than the forest interior. In contrast, horizontal seed-removal distance was longer in the forest interior than at all road clearing sites. Reduced dung burial rates, and deeper but shorter, seed removal in clearings implies a negative effect of road clearings on the efficiency of secondary seed dispersal and other ecological functions of dung beetles. The imposition of limits on the number and size of logging road networks would be effective for retaining the ecological functions performed by the diverse forest-dependent species after logging.