Construction of logging roads has a major impact on ecosystem services in tropical production forests. To understand the impact of logging roads on forest biodiversity, we examined abundance and species richness of dung beetles, a good indicator of integrity of tropical forest, at different distances (0-64 m) from logging roads of a production forest in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.

In total, 494 individuals in 41 species, 11 genera and four families (Scarabaeidae, Hybosoridae, Bolboceratidae, Ochodaeidae) of dung beetles were collected using Flight Interception Trap. Both the abundance and species richness were increased with the distance from the roads until 8 m. Canopy openness was the only significant predictor for both the abundance and species richness of dung beetles. Most of the beetle species aggregated to interior forest with less than 10% of canopy openness and avoided forest edge with more than 20% of canopy openness.

Our results suggest that construction of logging roads, both skid trails (mean canopy openness 14%) and main trails (30%), had a negative impacts on dung beetles and degraded 24% of their original habitat whereas road area was only 6.4%. Regulation of logging road density and enhancement of forest regrowth after logging is crucial to preserve forest specialists in tropical production forests.