Functional Diversity of Dung Beetle Assemblages and Their Role in Nutrient Cycling in Cattle Ranch Ecosystems of Oyo State, South West Nigeria

Dung beetles perform indispensable ecosystem functions in rangeland systems through dung burial, secondary seed dispersal, and parasite regulation, yet the functional ecology of dung beetles in Nigerian cattle ranches has received minimal research attention. Oyo State hosts several commercial and government-owned cattle ranches where pasture management practices may influence dung beetle community structure. This study examines the functional diversity of dung beetle assemblages and quantifies their dung removal rates across ranches under different management intensities in Oyo State. Beetles will be sampled using pitfall traps baited with cattle and pig dung at 30 sites across three ranches over four seasons. Functional traits including body size, tunneling versus rolling behavior, and nesting depth will be measured on collected specimens. Dung removal experiments using standardized 200-gram dung pats will quantify removal rates per site. Nutrient analysis of soil under dung pat removal plots versus exclusion plots will assess the contribution to nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Multivariate analysis will relate functional trait diversity to management intensity and pasture productivity metrics. This study extends tropical dung beetle functional ecology into a practically relevant Nigerian ranch setting and delivers findings applicable to sustainable rangeland management. Keywords: dung beetles, functional diversity, nutrient cycling, cattle ranches, Oyo State