Data from: Evidence of greater dung beetle abundance in a rewilded area compared to nearby organic farms

Organic farms have been shown to harbor larger and more diverse
invertebrate populations, and associated ecosystem services, compared to
other conventional farming methods. However, data on the impacts of
rewilding on invertebrates remains scarce. Dung beetles contribute
significantly to ecosystem function and are considered reliable indicators
of ecological integrity. They have undergone serious population declines,
largely due to changing agricultural practices. Dung beetles were
sampled simultaneously at each of the four sites for a total of 120
trapping days at each site. Two of the sites had been rewilded using
large, free-roaming herbivores and two were nearby organic
farms. The rewilding sites yielded greater species richness and
abundance compared to organic farms. The abundance of dung beetles was
more than twenty times greater at the rewilded sites compared to organic
sites. One paracoprid (dung-burying) species, Onthophagus
similis, was particularly abundant, comprising 95% of all individuals at
the rewilded sites. Nonetheless, captures at the rewilding sites remained
significantly higher even after this species was omitted from the
analysis. Practical implication: While additional research is necessary to
ascertain whether our findings signify an atypical occurrence, the
evidence from this case study suggests that rewilding with large
herbivores may provide an effective strategy to combat dung beetle
declines, restore ecological function, and enhance ecosystem services.