Elephants removed for 15 years, dung beetles fell by 67%: study

On an African savanna, an elephant’s presence can be measured in ways that have little to do with the animal itself. Beneath the shade of acacia trees and across open grasslands, enormous quantities of dung become food, shelter and opportunity for insects. Remove the elephants, and that hidden network begins to disappear. A 15-year ecological experiment in Kenya has now provided striking evidence of how closely one of the savanna’s largest mammals is connected to one of its smallest communities.Researchers of the study titled 'Importance of elephants for dung beetle biodiversity and ecosystem function' have found that excluding elephants from experimental plots caused major declines in dung beetle abundance, biomass and diversity, while also disrupting important ecological processes.An ecosystem built around dungAccording to the research published by Science Adviser newsletter, dung beetles rarely attract the attention given to elephants, but their work is fundamental to healthy soils and functioning ecosystems.…