Dung beetle communities structure in three different ungrazed ecosystems in the steppe zone of Djelfa (Algeria)

A comparative study of coprophagous Scarabaeoidea communities was performed in three different steppic ecosystems of Djelfa (south Algeria) namely: (1) a dune cordon (El-Mesrane), (2) a natural forest (Senalba) and (3) a reforestation woodland (Moudjbara). Monitoring dung beetle assemblages once a month using baited pitfall traps, 4863 individuals were captured and assigned to 55 species. Each species was allocated to a group according to its dung processing behavior. The tunnelers dominated by their biomass, while dwellers, although more frequent, had a lower biomass. Species richness and abundance are important during the fall and the winter seasons for El-Mesrane and Senalba. DCA analysis showed that the dune ecosystem is characterized by dominant species like Onthophagus (Palaeonthophagus) nebulosus (Reiche, 1864) and Aphodius (Volinus) melanosticus (Schmidt, 1840). The results suggest that the dune and natural forest are the most suitable habitats for Scarabaeidae which is not the case for the reforestation woodland Moudjbara. This might be the result of a limited grazing pressure