Differences in abundance and diversity of diurnal invertebrates among three Fijian forests, and a comparison of two trapping methods for rapid assessments
Nathan Westwood A , Mollie Pearson A , Erdem Mustafa A and Annette T. Scanlon A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5093, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: scanlonannette@gmail.com
Pacific Conservation Biology 24(2) 183-188 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC18027
Submitted: 20 February 2018 Accepted: 1 April 2018 Published: 1 May 2018
Abstract
Apart from some high-profile exceptions (e.g. charismatic long-horned beetles), the ecology and conservation of Fijian invertebrates have received little research attention, and their potential as biodiversity surrogates or indicators is poorly understood. We surveyed diurnal terrestrial invertebrates within three Fijian forest types (lowland, upland, and coastal) using Malaise traps and beating trays to compare invertebrate abundance and diversity among forests. We also evaluated the efficiency of the two trapping methods for rapid invertebrate assessments. Overall, we collected 2584 invertebrates representing 321 morphospecies within 22 arthropod orders. We found significant differences in the abundance and diversity of invertebrates among forest sites for beating-tray samples, but not for Malaise-trap samples. Upland forest had the greatest diversity (Simpsons diversity index, D = 0.98); coastal forest recorded the lowest diversity (D = 0.14), but the greatest abundance of invertebrates. Several orders of invertebrates were relatively abundant across sites and traps (i.e. had high sampling reliability; they included Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera), so could be targeted as surrogates for broader biodiversity sampling. Given the urgency with which baseline data are needed across the South Pacific, invertebrate sampling provides a rapid biodiversity assessment tool, including for working in remote areas with few resources.
Additional keywords: insects, island biogeography, Pacific Islands, surrogate species, trapping efficiency.
References
Aguilar, G. D., Waqa-Sakiti, H., and Winder, L. (2016). Using predicted locations and an ensemble approach to address sparse data sets for species distribution modelling: long-horned beetles (Cerambycidae) of the Fiji Islands. Unitec ePress. Available at: http://www.unitec.ac.nz/epress/ [accessed 14 February 2018].Andersen, A. N., Ludwig, J. A., Lowe, L. M., and Rentz, C. F. (2001). Grasshopper biodiversity and bioindicators in Australian tropical savannas: responses to disturbance in Kakadu National Park. Austral Ecology 26, 213–222.
| Grasshopper biodiversity and bioindicators in Australian tropical savannas: responses to disturbance in Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Arnold, A. E., and Lutzoni, F. (2007). Diversity and host range of foliar fungal Endophytes: are tropical leaves biodiversity hotspots? Ecology 88, 541–549.
| Diversity and host range of foliar fungal Endophytes: are tropical leaves biodiversity hotspots?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown, K. S. (1997). Diversity, disturbance, and sustainable use of Neotropical forests: insects as indicators for conservation monitoring. Journal of Insect Conservation 1, 25–42.
| Diversity, disturbance, and sustainable use of Neotropical forests: insects as indicators for conservation monitoring.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Burns, K. C., Berg, J., Bialynicka‐Birula, A., Kratchmer, S., and Shortt, K. (2010). Tree diversity on islands: assembly rules, passive sampling and the theory of island biogeography. Journal of Biogeography 37, 1877–1882.
Chalmers, N., Carter, D., and Walker, A. (1999). ‘Care and Conservation of Natural History Collections.’ (Butterwoth Heinemann: Oxford.) Available at: http://www.natsca.org/care-and-conservation [accessed 14 February 2018].
Cheetham, A. H., and Hazel, J. E. (1969). Binary (presence–absence) similarity coefficients. Journal of Paleontology 43, 1130–1136.
Churchill, T. B. (1997). Spiders as ecological indicators: an overview for Australia. Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 56, 331–337.
| Spiders as ecological indicators: an overview for Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
COSPPac (2017). Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific. Available at: http://cosppac.bom.gov.au/assets/pdf/OCOF/119/Fiji_OCOF_outlooks_119.pdf [accessed 22 September 2017].
Evenhuis, N. L., and Bickel, D. J. (2005). The NSF-Fiji terrestrial arthropod survey: overview. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 82, 3–25.
Evenhuis, N. L., and Bickel, D. J. (Eds) (2009). Fiji Arthropods XV. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 15, 1–58.
Fiji Arthropod Survey (2018). Checklists. Available at: http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/fiji/checklists.html [accessed 20 February 2018].
Fraser, S. E., Dytham, C., and Mayhew, P. J. (2008). The effectiveness and optimal use of Malaise traps for monitoring parasitoid wasps. Insect Conservation and Diversity 1, 22–31.
| The effectiveness and optimal use of Malaise traps for monitoring parasitoid wasps.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gerlach, J., Samways, M., and Pryke, J. (2013). Terrestrial invertebrates as bioindicators: an overview of available taxonomic groups. Journal of Insect Conservation 17, 831–850.
| Terrestrial invertebrates as bioindicators: an overview of available taxonomic groups.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Groom, S. V. C., and Schwarz, M. P. (2011). Bees in the southwest pacific: origins, diversity and conservation. Apidologie 42, 759–770.
| Bees in the southwest pacific: origins, diversity and conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hamilton, A. M., Hartman, J. H., and Austin, C. C. (2009). Island area and species diversity in the southwest Pacific Ocean: is the lizard fauna of Vanuatu depauperate? Ecography 32, 247–258.
| Island area and species diversity in the southwest Pacific Ocean: is the lizard fauna of Vanuatu depauperate?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) (2011). Pacific Islands Red List – identifying threatened species. Available at: https://www.iucn.org/content/pacific-islands-red-list-%E2%80%93-identifying-threatened-species [accessed 14 February 2018].
Jacquet, C., Mouillot, D., Kulbicki, M., and Gravel, D. (2017). Extensions of island biogeography theory predict the scaling of functional trait composition with habitat area and isolation. Ecology Letters 20, 135–146.
| Extensions of island biogeography theory predict the scaling of functional trait composition with habitat area and isolation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Losos, J. B., and Ricklefs, R. E. (Eds) (2009). ‘The Theory of Island Biogeography Revisited.’ (Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.)
MacArthur, R. H., and Wilson, E. O. (1967). ‘The Theory of Island Biogeography.’ (Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.)
Marc, P., Canard, A., and Ysnel, F. (1999). Spiders (Araneae) useful for pest limitation and bioindication. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 74, 229–273.
| Spiders (Araneae) useful for pest limitation and bioindication.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Matthews, R. W., and Matthews, J. R. (1971). The Malaise trap: its utility and potential for sampling insect populations. Great Lakes Entomologist 4, 117–122.
McGeoch, M. A. (1998). The selection, testing and application of terrestrial insects as bioindicators. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 73, 181–201.
| The selection, testing and application of terrestrial insects as bioindicators.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Neall, V. E., and Trewick, S. A. (2008). The age and origin of the Pacific islands: a geological overview. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 363, 3293–3308.
| The age and origin of the Pacific islands: a geological overview.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
New, T. R. (1999). Untangling the web: spiders and the challenges of invertebrate conservation. Journal of Insect Conservation 3, 251–256.
| Untangling the web: spiders and the challenges of invertebrate conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Oliver, I., and Beattie, A. J. (1996). Invertebrate morphospecies as surrogates for species: a case study. Conservation Biology 10, 99–109.
| Invertebrate morphospecies as surrogates for species: a case study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ozanne, C. M. (2005). Sampling methods for forest understory vegetation. In ‘Insect Sampling in Forest Ecosystems’. (Eds S. R. Leather, J. H. Lawton, and G. E. Likens.) pp. 58‒76. (Blackwell Publishing: Melbourne.)
Rosenberg, D. M., Danks, H. V., and Lehmkuhl, D. M. (1986). Importance of insects in environmental impact assessment. Environmental Management 10, 773–783.
| Importance of insects in environmental impact assessment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scanlon, A. T., and Petit, S. (2015). Capture success of Fijian bats (Pteropodidae) and their evaluation as umbrella species for conservation. Pacific Conservation Biology 21, 315–326.
| Capture success of Fijian bats (Pteropodidae) and their evaluation as umbrella species for conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature 163, 688.
| Measurement of diversity.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thaman, R. (2013). Vascular plants and vegetation of Leleuvia Island, Rewa Province, Viti Levu, Fiji. Unpublished Report, University of the South Pacific.
Tilling, S. M. (1986). ‘A Key to the Major Groups of Terrestrial Invertebrates.’ (AIDGAP Field Studies Council: Shropshire.)
Waqa-Sakiti, H., and Winder, L. (2012). Diversity and distribution of forest canopy Coleoptera on eastern Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. Pacific Conservation Biology 18, 177–185.
| Diversity and distribution of forest canopy Coleoptera on eastern Viti Levu, Fiji Islands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Waqa-Sakiti, H., Winder, L., and Lingafelter, S. W. (2015). Review of the genus Ceresium Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Fiji. ZooKeys 532, 15–53.
| Review of the genus Ceresium Newman, 1842 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in Fiji.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
