The effect of elevations on diversity and abundance of class insecta at Taman Negara Gunung Ledang, Johor

Abstract

Insects are among the most diverse and ecologically important organisms on the Earth. Nevertheless, the diversity and abundance of insects are rarely quantified and it is hard to do so without any baseline data. The study was set out at Taman Negara Gunung Ledang (TNGL), Johor with the aims of determining the diversity and abundance of insects as well to identify their differences at different elevations of TNGL forest by using the yellow pan traps. Overall, a total of 14 insects' order comprising 489 individuals were successfully identified. Both low and high elevations recorded 294 and 195 individuals respectively which belonging to 11 orders each. Eventhough both elevations recorded the same number of orders, but not all orders present at low elevation were present at high elevation. High existence of vegetations like saplings, shrubs and spruces at low elevation make them to have more abundant insects rather that at high elevation. Hymenoptera was found to be the most abundant order in TNGL forest with total percentage of 30.29 followed by Hemiptera (21.94 %) and Diptera (20.78 %). The least number of individuals collected at low elevation were Blattodea while both Embioptera and Lepidoptera recorded the least number at high elevation with only one individual collected respectively. The Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H') showed that low elevation had the highest diversity with the value of H′ =1.88 followed by high elevation with H′=1.45. Meanwhile, the T-test results showed that mean of both elevations did not differ significantly with p>0.05. Cluster analysis revealed there were no specific patterns of abundant for insects' order along the elevational and latitudinal gradient.