RESEARCH ARTICLE The Importance of Maize Management on Dung Beetle Communities in Atlantic Forest Fragments

Dung beetle community structures changes due to the effects of destruction, fragmentation, isolation and decrease in tropical forest area, and therefore are considered ecological indi-cators. In order to assess the influence of type of maize cultivated and associated maize management on dung beetle communities in Atlantic Forest fragments surrounded by con-ventional and transgenic maize were evaluated 40 Atlantic Forest fragments of different sizes, 20 surrounded by GMmaize and 20 surrounded by conventional maize, in February 2013 and 2014 in Southern Brazil. After applying a sampling protocol in each fragment (10 pitfall traps baited with human feces or carrion exposed for 48 h), a total of 3454 individuals from 44 species were captured: 1142 individuals from 38 species in GMmaize surrounded fragments, and 2312 from 42 species in conventional maize surrounded fragments. Differ-ences in dung beetle communities were found between GM and conventional maize com-munities. As expected for fragmented areas, the covariance analysis showed a greater species richness in larger fragments under both conditions; however species richness was greater in fragments surrounded by conventional maize. Dung beetle structure in the forest fragments was explained by environmental variables, fragment area, spatial distance and also type of maize (transgenic or conventional) associated with maize management tech-niques. In Southern Brazil’s scenario, the use of GMmaize combined with associated agri-cultural management may be accelerating the loss of diversity in Atlantic Forest areas, and consequently, important ecosystem services provided by dung beetles may be lost