Australian dung beetles are to save farmers $150 million a year, we learn from an article in today's paper, by reducing the country's greenhouse emissions. Hugh Gourley, scientist from Landcare Research says the beetles "have the potential to have a profound impact on farming practices throughout the country."
I wonder how?
I especially wonder how the beetles will manage to roll the liquid cow shit that seems the norm here on Southland dairy farms, into a ball. If and when they do, what advantage is there in pulling it underground?
Can dung beetles roll their (liquid) balls of dung through the long, thickly growing grasses that Southland is famous for? I've seen them rolling their compacted spheres over dry, dusty ground in countries where cattle browse on fibrous leaves, twigs and grasses, but here, on our sappy rye grasses?
It's going to be an interesting experiment and I'll be watching those little guys closely.
9 comments:
Hey Rob,
Sure will be a cool experiment. As I understand it(and I'm really not a coleopterist) adult beetles are quite happy to eat/drink the more.. aqueous... material. The balls they roll up are for their larvae.
Might have to write a post on this at some stage
Ah! It's the eating and the drinking I hadn't factored in!
Won't that mean they excrete in a similarly aqueous way and how might that help I wonder?
The larval food balls (like chocolate truffles) will be a challenge for the little scarabs.
I look forward to reading your post David.
Do we have Australian dung beetles here already?
WC,
There's a couple of aussies here, but they are small and not really adapted to pasture so they don't make much of an impact.
There are also a handful of native species, but they are really limited to forests. I wonder if there were Moa dung specialists in the past...
Does that mean they're going to introduce them? Haven't we done enough of that already?
Dung beetles, dealing to tutae moa!
Ha!
Love that image!
Hey WC,
I have the same twinge everytime I hear about planned introductions. Especially since my work is related to probably the most horrific example of what can go wrong.
But in this case, presuming all the trials work out, it seems like a good idea. An almost no investment method to limit greenhouse emissions and run off, and there seems little risk they'll push out native beetles (which don't really exist) or take over anything. Will be really interesting to see how the trials go.
I bet they can push it up hill, too.
I'm going to read through your snail tale as soon as I have some leisure time David.
Cannibal snails - nasty!
Our Powelliphanta do the same but to worms don't they?
Shane - ever the social commentor!
Post a Comment