P.PSH.1134 - Dung beetle ecosystem engineers – enduring benefits for livestock producers via science and a new community partnership model

Summary

The Dung Beetle Ecosystem Engineers (DBEE) project aimed to improve the soil in grazing systems, reduce the spread of flies, pests and diseases, increase pasture health and reduce nutrient run-off into waterways through the introduction of new dung beetle species and the provision of management information to primary producers.

Objectives

The broad objectives of the RRD4P DBEE project were to implement and deliver:

• National-level regionally specific dung beetle services to farmers to be rolled out under the national Landcare program.
• A publicly available national to regional dung beetle distribution monitoring program and database to underwrite improved service delivery.
• Peer-reviewed quantification of the complex multiple dung beetle benefits and services from the paddock to nation.
• A selection, importation, release and distribution pipeline for existing and new dung beetles to fill scientifically justifiable benefit gaps.
• Program management, communication, evaluation and reporting to MLA.

Key findings

Importation of four novel dung beetle species to fill the late winter-early spring activity gap in southern Australia (only three reared and released from quarantine). Another 14 species have been added to the Live Animal Import list for future importation.

Enhanced producer awareness and capacity-building delivered through communications and extension activities.

The curated data from the monitoring program is one of the largest databases of dung beetle presence and abundance in the world. This is important information for producers that will allow them to understand which dung beetle species are present/active when and where, to be able to tailor their land management practices to relevant species.

The intensive field experiments conducted comprise the largest field experiment undertaken for the purpose of quantifying the benefits of dung beetles in the Australian context. Together with the economic model developed in the project, these findings demonstrate to farmers the benefits that dung beetles can provide. They will also encourage land managers to better actively manage their local beetle populations to improve on-farm productivity.

The project has forged ongoing collaborations between land management organisations, commercial dung beetle providers and researchers that will continue to share knowledge and build capacity in dung beetle delivery.

Mass-rearing facilities have been established at several sites across Australia and project partners have developed a much greater understanding of mass-rearing requirements for multiple dung beetle species.

The DBEE project has led to increased demand for commercial dung beetle services and led to the establishment of community and private providers.

Benefits to industry

The introduction of three new spring active species means that for first time producers have dung beetles processing dung across a large proportion of pasture system in southern Australia at this time. Potentially it may take decades for these species to establish across their maximum range but the benefits on farm are immediate and across the industry are cumulative.

The same applies to successfully expanding of the range of existing exotic species to ensure optimal ecosystem services provided by dung beetles on farm. Ongoing support and land management collaborations will increase the chance of success with purposeful cropping and redistribution.

The project has forged a network between land management organisations, commercial dung beetle providers and researchers that will continue to share knowledge and build capacity in dung beetle delivery. Quantification of the benefits and explanation of these to producers at a regional and local level has been critical to management decisions on farm. Utilising the tools and material developed by the project land managers are able to benefit from dung beetles direct and immediate value.

In many ways the monitoring program undertaken has highlighted the gaps at a regional and landscape level down to a farm level and provides a blueprint for what can happen next for either an individual producer or land management group (e.g. what species should be in the region). Raising producer awareness of dung beetles through workshops and monitoring programs benefits not just the immediate farm but the wider community and environment. This project showed that producers that became engaged in the monitoring process, often continued to monitor across their property and had them questioning livestock management practices particularly in terms of drench management.

MLA action

Extension program: In the regions that have not benefited from any of the projects and programs in the past decade, significant promotion of the ecosystem services and value of dung beetles to livestock producers is still required via a comprehensive extension program. There continue to be regions and producers who do not understand the benefits that dung beetles can provide in pest management and the value they bring to a grazing system. Central and Northern Qld and the Northern regions of WA need a program of extension that involves the development of material that is specifically relevant to their extensive systems.

Future research

Geographic and seasonal gaps: The benefits provided by dung beetles are assumed to be available to varying degrees in each locality that has dung beetles. Therefore, a lack of dung beetles to provide those benefits represents an opportunity cost to farmers, the industry and the broader community. There are many geographical gaps across Australia where insufficient diversity and/or abundance of dung beetles are not providing optimal ecosystem services.
Management of livestock and dung beetles: Producers want specific and practical information packages on dung beetle management in relation to the use of animal health and pesticidal products. The key information providers on the best-practice use of pesticides in the livestock industries have limited available information on dung beetles, and in particular, how to include dung beetles into a holistic IPM strategy. Further research trials are needed particularly with management of anthelmintics and the use of a Targeted-selective-treatment strategy for treating herds/flocks.