JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Rahimi E, Tahmasebi P, Omidzadeh Ardali E. Role of Functional Groups of Dung Beetles in the Infiltrated Water in the Soil from the Semi Steppe Rangelands Shahrekord. jwss 2018; 21 (4) :85-97
URL: http://jstnar.iut.ac.ir/article-1-3111-en.html

The present study was conducted to assess effect of dung beetles function in the soil water infiltration performance on the part of rangeland of university of Sharekord in the form of a completely randomized design within one year. Therefore, the meshes consisted of both large and small size were used and filled with cattle, sheep and goat dung in six treatments (presence of dwellers, tunellers and absence of roller beetles- presence of dwellers, tunellers and small rollers and absence of large rollers- present of dwellers, rollers and small tunellers and presence of large tunellers- presence of dwellers and small tunellers, absence of large tunellers and rollers- presence of dwellers, tunellers and small rollers, absence of tunellers and large rollers- absence of beetle) with four replications. The soil water infiltration was measured using double ring. The results illustrated that the maximum function of the dung beetles in the soil water infiltration of states with cattle and goat dung application was calculated at the investigated possible treatment of presence of dwellers, presence of large and small tunneler and absence of large roller beetles and, presence of small roller beetles (10.27 and 8.97 cm/hr respectively) and the state with sheep dung application was calculated at the investigated possible treatment of presence of dwellers, absence of large tunellers and presence of small tunellers and also presence of large and small rollers, respectively (7.97 cm/hr). The results of the effect of manure on the total amount of water infiltration in the soil by dung beetles from all treatments showed the greatest amount of water infiltration in the soil, dung beetles were related to performance of dung beetles by removing goat (40.47 cm/hr), cattle (39.77 cm/hr) and sheep (38.07 cm/hr) dung. Functional groups of dung beetles by removing and importing livestock dung to the soil influence the infiltration rates in pastures soils.