Nature conservation needs dynamic approach

• Published date: 22 December 2020
• Date: 22 December 2020
• Publication title: Bolander

· been fascinated by insects from a very young age

· dung beetles play a crucial role in land-based ecosystems

· climate projections indicate extreme changes in rainfall in this area; dramatic impacts on dung beetle communities

· Liaise with Dr Lavhelesani Simba at simba.lavhelesani@gmail.com or 0722443221

· Photos available

· Click here for more information on the University's graduation ceremonies this week.

The humble yet industrious dung beetles of the Karoo are important little creatures worthy of big scientific research.

So says Lavhelesani (Lavhe) Simba, who will be receiving her PhD degree at Stellenbosch University's December graduation ceremony this week.

Simba, a former student in the Faculty of AgriScience's Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, tracked the Karoo's dung beetles during her study. Her dissertation is titled The relative importance of species richness and functional diversity for ecosystem functions performed by dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in South Africa.

Simba has been fascinated by insects from a very young age. While growing up in a rural village in Limpopo, Simba and her siblings would often go searching for locusts and termites to eat. Later, as a student at the University of Venda, her interest in entomology deepened.

The opportunity to study the Karoo's scarabs came along when the BioGaps project was initiated by the South African Biodiversity Institute to fill gaps in the scientific understanding of the Karoo's biodiversity.

As a result, Simba's PhD study focused on dung beetles living on six livestock farms and in five protected areas, all located in the Nama and Succulent Karoo biomes. These protected areas included the Karoo, Camdeboo and Tankwa Karoo National Parks; Anysberg Nature Reserve; and Tierberg, managed by the South African Environmental Observation Network. Together, her 11 study sites stretched over an area of approximately 500 km2 across three provinces.

The study's aim was to determine the effect of changes in land use and rainfall on dung beetle diversity in the region. More specifically, Simba investigated the factors that influence dung beetle abundance, species richness and functional diversity within protected areas and rangelands. The specific influential factors she chose to investigate were rainfall, mammal stocking rates, soil texture and vegetation cover.

The value of the humble dung beetle

Dung beetles play a crucial role in land-based ecosystems, Simba points out. "While using and burying dung as a food and nesting source, they perform a variety of ecosystem services," Simba says. Ultimately, both nature and humans benefit from these services.

"Dung beetles fertilise the soil, clean pastures, contribute to nutrient cycling and soil quality, and provide pollination services," Simba explains. "Dung removal also controls flies and livestock-internal parasites, thereby providing...