Diversidad de escarabajos coprófagos del municipio de San Antonio del Tequendama (Cundinamarca, Colombia) como indicador de la integridad ecológica de sus ecosistemas

Abstract

The development of different human activities generates a constant change in land use, factors such as the expansion of agricultural frontiers put the integrity and biodiversity of ecosystems at risk. Therefore, it is important to generate tools to identify the level of impact of ecosystems. In this study, the abundance and richness of genera of coprophagous beetles was used as an indicator of ecological integrity in three specific zones of the municipality of San Antonio de Tequendama, located in the department of Cundinamarca (Colombia)..

Areas of (continuous forest, transition zone and intervened zone) were evaluated. The latter has been affected by different human activities especially livestock. Sampling of the coprophagous beetles was done using fall traps or Pitfall using two types of dung (human and cow). This was done in order to increase catches and determine which bait type is more efficient. 3 transects of 3 kilometers were made, for each transect 10 traps were placed, each one of them interspersed with the type of dung. For the intervened zone and the continuous forest zone, a total of 30 traps were placed in each and for the transition zone a total of 60 traps were placed in order to have a greater number of data. This sampling was divided into two phases, the first sampling was carried out in the month of February and the second in the month of April 2018 aculating 240 traps.

A total of 524 individuals were found in which 18 genders were identified. Where more wealth was found was in the transition zone this is because there is more diversity of genders between the transitions of forest and livestock, the traps baited with human excrement achieved the capture of 59.7% of specimens with respect to dung of cow with which the remaining 40.3% were captured. The most abundant genus in the sampling areas was Dichotomius with a total of 139 individuals found, followed by Bdelyrus with 89 individuals. Individuals of the genera Canthon and Ontherus were found, indicators of ecosystems in good condition in areas of continuous forests, while the genera Pseudocanthon and Eurysternus, (indicators of disturbance zones), were found in deforested areas and with livestock. From the calculated estimators it was determined by Shannon index that the zone of greatest abundance and was the transition zone, this was largely due to the characteristics of this ecosystem which allows a greater interaction between genders.