Paul Manning, Dalhousie University

Research

agroecology biodiversity brown food webs community ecology decomposition ecosystem services entomology interactions

Latest papers

Disentangling the effects of dung pat shape and mass on greenhouse gas emissions in the presence of dung beetles.
The Science of the total environment · 2026 · senior author
The non-indigenous dung beetle (Onthophagus nuchicornis) can effectively reproduce using the dung of indigenous eastern North American mammals.
PeerJ · 2025 · senior author
Exposure to low concentrations of pesticide stimulates ecological functioning in the dung beetle Onthophagus nuchicornis.
PeerJ · 2020 · first author

All 4 publications

Latest funding

LeafHope: A Comprehensive Toolkit to Reduce Insecticide Use and Greenhouse Gases in Canada
NSERC · 2023 · Co-investigator
$1,923,891
Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles
NSERC · 2022 · Principal investigator
$87,000
Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles
NSERC · 2022 · Principal investigator
$12,500

All 3 grants and awards

4 publications.

01

Disentangling the effects of dung pat shape and mass on greenhouse gas emissions in the presence of dung beetles.

Bennett S, Burton D, Lumactud R, Manafiazar G, Manning P

The Science of the total environment2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.182273 PMID: 42691740

02

The non-indigenous dung beetle (Onthophagus nuchicornis) can effectively reproduce using the dung of indigenous eastern North American mammals.

Indigo A, Stokes K, Burchell O, Manning P

PeerJ2025Senior author

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.18674 PMID: 39763702

03

Exposure to low concentrations of pesticide stimulates ecological functioning in the dung beetle Onthophagus nuchicornis.

Manning P, Cutler GC

PeerJ2020First author

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10359 PMID: 33282556

04

Quantifying immediate and delayed effects of anthelmintic exposure on ecosystem functioning supported by a common dung beetle species.

Manning P, Beynon SA, Lewis OT

PloS one2017First author

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182730 PMID: 28800623

LeafHope: A Comprehensive Toolkit to Reduce Insecticide Use and Greenhouse Gases in Canada

Co-investigatorNSERC2023Alliance Grants

Principal investigators: Perez-Lopez, Edel E

Keywords: biological control; climate change; ghg emissions reduction; insect ecology; insecticide reduction; insect transmitted bacterial disease; integrated pest management; knowledge transfer framework; smart agriculture; sustainable agriculture

$1,923,891

Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Principal investigators: Manning, Paul

Keywords: biodiversity; ecosystem services; scarabaeoidea; decomposition; brown food webs; agroecology; interactions; entomology; community ecology; soil

$87,000

Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles

Principal investigatorNSERC2022Discovery Launch Supplement

Principal investigators: Manning, Paul

$12,500

From CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions: CIHR since 2008, NSERC since 1991 and SSHRC since 1998, including their latest published competition results.

Frequent collaborators

David Burton

Environmental Sciences (Faculty of Agriculture)

1 shared papers, latest 2026

Write to this professor

A short, specific email works best. This draft uses one of their recent papers; replace the parts in brackets with your own details before sending.

Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their NSERC grant from 2022

Subject: Prospective PhD student: agroecology Dear Professor Manning, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper "Disentangling the effects of dung pat shape and mass on greenhouse gas emissions in the presence of dung beetles." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your NSERC-funded project "Quantifying the significance and vulnerability of ecosystem services by dung beetles" (2022), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]