D3248: Insect decomposers for assessing ecosystem health and resiliency

Conservation typically has dual objectives of preserving both biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; however, most efforts focus on specific species (particularly endangered species). To address the conservation of ecosystem functions, we 1) described the insect community associated with the decomposition of small mammal carcasses, 2) assessed correlations between insects and landscape cover types, and 3) quantified decomposition of a small mammal carcass in Mediterranean shrublands and grasslands of San Diego County, CA USA. Many coleopterans and one dipteran family (Phoridae) exhibited a negative relationship with urban land cover and a positive relationship with sage scrub within 5km of trapping locations. Decomposition rates of a small mammal carcass exhibited a negative correlation with the proportion of urban landscape and positive correlation with sage scrub cover. While it is expected that differing land cover composition will result in different insect communities, we demonstrated how these different communities can influence an ecosystem function. As a group, insects should be a focus of conservation efforts due to their high level of biodiversity and integral role in most ecosystem functions.