Dung beetle distribution, abundance, and diversity along an elevation gradient in Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda: A preliminary survey

This study presents a preliminary assessment of the abundance, distribution, and diversity of dung beetles in different elevation bands of Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda. Baited pitfall traps were used on transects at each elevation band from 1800m to 2800m. During this study 162 individuals were recorded in over 90 traps. Individuals were placed into eight different species categories based on morphological traits. Dung beetle species richness was highest at the lower elevations sampled and declined with higher elevation samples. These findings support the previous studies showing that dung beetles are not evenly distributed along an evelational gradient.