Global impacts of agricultural and timber plantations on dung beetle biodiversity

The ongoing conversion of natural forests to timber and agricultural plantations has driven rapid biodiversity loss. It is crucial to assess the remaining ecological value of these production areas and to examine how their management and location influence this value. This study aims to determine the pattern of effects resulting from the conversion of natural forests to agricultural and timber plantations on invertebrates, using dung beetles as a crucial bioindicator group that performs essential ecological functions. We conducted a comprehensive global meta-analysis, using 109 published articles yielding 444 effect sizes to assess dung beetle species richness and abundance in various types of plantations, including annual crops, cocoa, coffee, forestry, oil palm, and rubber. We examined whether the response varied based on plantation management characteristics (origin, connectivity to natural forest, size) or geographic location (zoogeographical region, biodiversity hotspot). Our findi..., , This README was generated on 2026-03-17 by Pablo A. López Bedoya

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Title of Dataset

# Data from: Global impacts of agricultural and timber plantations on dung beetle biodiversity
2. Author Information
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Corresponding Investigator Name: Pablo A. López-Bedoya\
Institution: Programa de Pós graduação em Ecologia Aplicada, Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil.\
Email: [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail])

Co-investigator 1\
Name: David P. Edwards\
Institution: Department of Plant Sciences and Centre for Global Wood Security, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK.

Co-investigator 2\
Name: Felicity A. Edwards\
Institution: RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, Cambridge, UK.

Co-investigator 3\
Name: Cesar M. A. Correa\
Institution: Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul, Laboratório de Bioecologia de Scarabaeoidea (Scaralab), Aquidaua..., ,