Quantifying the post‐fire recovery of taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles in the Brazilian Pantanal

A study on the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reveals that dung beetles exhibit high resistance to fire and rapid recovery post-fire. Researchers found that while taxonomic composition changed significantly 16 months after severe burns in 2019–2020, functional diversity remained stable, indicating that these insects are less sensitive to fire effects than previously thought. Dung beetles, known for their ecological roles such as seed dispersion and nutrient cycling, may aid in the restoration of burned areas, offering valuable insights for conservation strategies. The study combined taxonomic and functional diversity metrics to provide a comprehensive understanding of dung beetle responses to fire, highlighting their potential as tools for ecological restoration in fire-affected regions.

Gonçalves, T. F., Correa, C. M. A., Audino, L. D., Vaz‐de‐Mello, F. Z., Fontoura, F. M., & Guedes, N. M. R. (2022). Quantifying the post‐fire recovery of taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles in the Brazilian Pantanal. Ecological Entomology, 47(4), 601–612. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.13144