Education

UF-linked study finds elephant loss triggers dung beetle population collapse

A new study co-authored by University of Florida researcher Todd Palmer and published in Science found that removing African elephants from experimental savanna landscapes in Kenya caused dung beetle populations and their ecological functions to collapse. Dung beetles play critical roles in nutrient recycling, seed dispersal, soil health, and parasite suppression, contributing billions of dollars in ecological value globally. The findings reinforce the idea that elephants act as a keystone species whose disappearance can set off broader ecosystem chain reactions.

Sources: UF News