A new study from Southern Cross University found that dung beetles can cut methane emissions from cattle manure by up to 85%. The research, published in Ecological Entomology, tracked emissions from cow pats over 90 days. Dung pats with beetles produced near-zero methane, while those without had clear emission peaks. The beetles aerate the dung, which stops methane-producing microbes from thriving. This matters for carbon accounting in grazing systems. The study suggests that supporting dung beetle populations could be a low-cost way to lower the greenhouse gas footprint of livestock. The researchers also argue that biological processes from invertebrates should be included in national emissions inventories. The findings are specific to four introduced beetle species in northern NSW. It is not yet clear how well these results scale across different climates and regions, but the mechanism is straightforward and the effect is large.
