Diversity Pattern of Butterfly Communities (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidae) in Different Habitat Types in a Tropical Rain Forest of Southern Vietnam

Lien Van Vu,Con Quang Vu

doi:10.5402/2011/818545

Abstract

Diversity of butterfly communities of a tropical rain forest of Bu Gia Map National Park in South Vietnam was studied in four different habitat types (the natural forest, the disturbed forest, the bamboo forest, and the stream sides in the forest) in December 2008 and April 2009. A total of 112 species with 1703 individuals of Papilionoidae (except Lycaenidae) were recorded. The proportion of rare species tends to decrease from the natural forest to the stream sides, while the proportion of common species tends to increase from the natural forest to the stream sides. The stream sides have the greatest individual number, while the disturbed forest contains the greatest species number. The bamboo forest has the least species and individual numbers. The stream side environment in the forest plays an important role in conserving butterfly abundance while the bamboo shows the poorest butterfly diversity.

Highlights

Insect diversity is highest in habitats with the most plant diversity and is lowest in shrub, grass and open areas [1]
This shows that a forest habitat with more forest canopy layers and high vegetation diversity supports more insect species than a forest habitat with less forest canopy layers and less vegetation diversity
A total of 112 different species with 1703 individuals of butterflies were recorded in four different habitat types in the studied period in 2008-2009

Summary

Introduction

Insect diversity is highest in habitats with the most plant diversity and is lowest in shrub, grass and open areas [1]. Diversity is usually lower in natural forests, higher in disturbed forests, and highest in moderately disturbed forests [4,5,6,7,8], or forest edges [9, 10]. Other studies have indicated that the numbers of butterfly species and individuals are high in disturbed and regenerating forests and low in natural forests [11, 12]. Diversity of butterflies increases with increasing of habitat scale and vegetation structure complex [14]. This shows that a forest habitat with more forest canopy layers and high vegetation diversity supports more insect species than a forest habitat with less forest canopy layers and less vegetation diversity

Methods

Results

Conclusion