The Critical Role of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in Agroecosystems: Richness, Abundance, and Structure in Coffee Plantations of Southern Ecuador
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Shaded coffee plantations are increasingly recognized as important agroecosystems for biodi-versity conservation in the tropical Andes. 1) Background: Dung beetles (Scarabaeinae) play a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning; however, their diversity and ecological roles within shaded coffee systems in southern Ecuador remain poorly understood. 2) Methods: This study assessed dung beetle diversity in 14 shaded coffee plantations located in the provinces of Loja, Zamora Chinchipe, and El Oro, using pitfall traps baited with pig dung. Community structure was analyzed using Hill numbers, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and generalized linear models. 3) Results: A total of 209 individuals belonging to 14 genera and 42 species were rec-orded. Loja exhibited the highest species richness and abundance, representing 73% of all indi-viduals, whereas El Oro showed the lowest diversity. Onthophagus curvicornis (Latreille, 1817) was the dominant species, accounting for 20% of the total abundance. Habitat type and altitude significantly influenced dung beetle abundance, with a predominance of coprophagous and par-acoprid species. 4) Conclusions: Shaded coffee plantations maintain dung beetle communities comparable to those of natural ecosystems, emphasizing their contribution to ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, soil improvement, and biological pest control, and supporting the pro-motion of sustainable coffee management practices in Andean agroecosystems.