Permanent or Transitory Crops? The Dilemma for Biodiversity Conservation: A Case Study with Dung Beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in the Colombian Caribbean

Crops of cocoa, avocado, cassava, yam, and maize are of utmost importance to the economy of the Colombian Caribbean, as they serve as the primary source of income for many families. However, establishing these crops requires the replacement of natural ecosystems, with limited understanding of how these areas contribute to biodiversity conservation. This study analyzed the diversity of dung beetles in both transitory and permanent crops within a landscape in San Jacinto, Bolívar, to assess their contribution to the conservation of diversity within this insect group. Dung beetle communities were sampled in permanent crops of avocado and cocoa, transitory crops (cassava, yam, and maize), and a forest fragment. The forest fragment exhibited high levels of species richness, abundance, and diversity regardless of the sampling period; these values were only matched by those of the permanent cocoa crop, and only during the rainy season. Our findings highlight the necessity of preserving forest fragments for biodiversity conservation, while also indicating that certain permanent crops may contribute to this effort.