Role of fragmented forests for maintaining a herbivore assemblage in agroecosystem

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the role of small and isolated fragmented forests (SFFs) in the agricultural ecosystem by analyzing the characteristics of macro-moth communities. The alpha and beta diversities and the community structure of SFFs were compared to large and continuous forests (LCFs) within the same region. The diversity of moth families between the two forest types was also compared. The results showed that the moth assemblages were different between the two forests and had a significantly low diversity in SFFs compared to LCFs. The species richness and abundance of dominant families such as Geometridae, Erebidae, Noctuidae, Notodontidae, Nolidae, and Drepanidae also showed different patterns: the richness and abundance of most families were higher in continuous forests except Noctuidae that showed a higher diversity in the fragmented forest. The beta diversity of both forests was largely explained by the high turnover than nestedness. The study concluded that despite low species diversity, SFFs contributes to maintaining biodiversity in the agricultural landscape through their distinct moth assemblages and active dispersals.