Rainforest fragmentation is leading to huge increases in the quantity of forest in close
proximity to edges. Edge effects may cause multiple alterations to ecological processes,
however we do not know their impacts on the spatial turnover of communities, β-diversity.
Using a dung beetle community in the north-east Brazilian Amazon, I addressed the problem in four, systematic steps. First, as β-diversity is spatially dependent it is essential
to sample at small through to broad scales, presenting us with a limitation of sampling
over large areas at fine scales. I present a scalable sampling design based upon a fractal
series of equilateral triangles that proved in simulations to be more efficient at recovering
accurate estimates of β-diversity than classical sampling designs. Second, I investigated
optimal bait choice for accurately sampling the dung beetle community. A human-pig
dung mix was found to be as effective as pure human dung baits, whilst removing possible
dung source limitations. Third, I investigated the drivers of β-diversity based upon traits
that govern foraging strategies. Wing and body morphology was found to be a significant
predictor of the spatial scales at which species populations were structured. I then partitioned the variation attributed to environment and space for each morphological subset
at three spatial scales. The drivers, and the scales at which they were most important,
were dependent upon morphological traits, which further interacted with habitat modification. Finally, I investigated if β-diversity was greater in dung beetles at the forest edge.
Linearising the fractal design, I estimated turnover within communities at set distances
from the edge. Results were mixed: there was no elevation at a primary-Eucalyptus forest
edge, but significantly higher turnover within communities at a primary-secondary forest
edge than interior communities. This work increases our knowledge of how fragmentation
and edge effects impact the underlying processes governing diversity.