Elephants' absence in East African savanna leads to drastic insect declines over 15 years
- A 15-year experiment in Kenya found elephant-free plots had 67% fewer dung beetles than plots where elephants remained.
- Beetle biomass fell 51% and the number of dung beetle species declined 23% after elephants were excluded.
- Researchers found elephant dung attracted more dung beetles than dung from other mammals, supporting a diverse insect community.
- Fewer beetles also slowed dung decomposition and reduced seed dispersal, affecting key functions across the savanna ecosystem.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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