Dung Beetles, Essay Example

Dung beetles are not creatures that people tend to care about, unlike polar bears, but they are more important in terms of the natural processes on which we all rely.  They bury and consume animal waste, and this is vital in seed dispersal, reducing parasite populations, and spreading nutrients through soils.  However, as Sacha Spector of the American Museum of Natural History notes, most people are unconcerned about the many species of invertebrates and plants that perform such crucial functions.  Large mammals get the attention when species survival is threatened, but the greater reality is that the less known and smaller species do far more for humans and natural environments.

In fact, the vulnerability of small creatures is why they develop skills of great value to humanity in ways apart from caring for the environment.  The wings of Numibian beetles, which can pull water from fog, help scientists develop irrigation systems.  As mussels cling to rocks, biologists are creating immensely powerful adhesives based on their animal proteins.  Then, it is usually not known how valuable a species is until it has been eliminated or reduced for some time; the huge decrease in oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, for example, has led to polluted water because the natural filtering is so weakened.  The tragedy here is that efforts to protect species are focused only on large mammals, so the many and valuable invertebrates disappear.  They are, however, the real foundation for natural life.

Works Cited

Begley, Sharon. “Praise the Humble Dung Beetle.”  31 May 2008. Web.  28 Dec. 2014.<http://www.newsweek.com/begley-praise-humble-dung-beetle-89457>