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Effects of weather and phenology on the abundance and diversity of geometroid moths in a natural Malaysian tropical rain forest

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2001

JURIE INTACHAT
Affiliation:
Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
JEREMY D. HOLLOWAY
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
HARRY STAINES
Affiliation:
Scottish Informatics, Mathematics, Biology and Statistics Centre, Division of Mathematical Sciences, Kydd Building, Bell Street, University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee DD1 1HG, UK

Abstract

Geometroid moth abundance, species richness, weather and plant phenology were monitored monthly for 3 y in the lowland dipterocarp forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. The intensity of tree flowering in the previous month (with mass events triggered in response to El Niño Southern Oscillations) was an important environmental factor positively correlated with the numbers of species and individuals of geometroid moths that emerge in any month. Abundance for geometroid moths was greater in months with high flowering and flushing in the previous month but low flowering in the month before that. Important weather parameters that influenced moth abundance were monthly rainfall, relative humidity and minimum temperature in previous months. High rainfall 3 mo previously led to an increase in moth abundance (perhaps by stimulating an increase in fresh plant material), whereas high rainfall and relative humidity thereafter served to decrease abundance, possibly by encouraging the spread and activity of pathogens: all these factors impacted on early life-stage survivorship. Similar trends were observed for individual geometroid families and subfamilies. The diversity measurement for the geometroid moths, α from the log-series, was correlated more with weather parameters than with tree phenology.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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