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Local effects of forest fragmentation on diversity of aquatic insects in tropical forest streams: implications for biological conservation

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Abstract

The influence of forest fragmentation (habitat isolation) on biological and ecological diversity of aquatic insects was investigated in streams of fragmented forests in Hulu Gombak (6 streams) and Gunung Angsi (5 streams) and un-fragmented forest of Berembun (6 streams) in peninsular Malaysia. Several environmental parameters including canopy cover, DO, temperature and pH differed significantly among the three catchments (P < 0.05). We found that taxonomic richness in Berembun forest was significantly different from Gunung Angsi (P < 0.05), but not with Hulu Gombak forests (P > 0.05). Nestedness pattern that measures the effect of habitat isolation on taxonomic assemblages showed that aquatic insect’s community in un-fragmented forest (Berembun) was less nested (T = 54.4), indicating high diversity compared to highly nested (less diverse) in the two fragmented forests (Hulu Gombak, T = 30.45 and Gunung Angsi, T = 35.45). Taxa similarity in Berembun streams was negatively correlated with the geographical distance among streams (Mantel test, r = − 0.462, P < 0.05). Such correlation was absent in both Gunung Angsi and Hulu Gombak streams. Forest fragmentation in Hulu Gombak and Gunung Angsi measured as the distance of the forests from the nearest forested area had negative effect on aquatic insects diversity (r 2 = − 0.149, P < 0.05), but not on their abundances (r 2 = 0.003, P > 0.05). We concluded that local habitat conditions were the most important in shaping the aquatic insects community among streams of both unfragmented and fragmented forests.

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Acknowledgments

We express our heartfelt gratitude to various people involved in this study; Hazdri Abdullah, Mohd Shukri, Hamzah, Siti Khatijah, Yahya Tahir, Wan Zaki, Kalimuthu for their tireless help in the field. To many others who are directly or indirectly helping us during this study, we are deemed indebted. We are grateful to the Dean, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, for providing field and laboratory facilities to conduct this research. To Forest Research Institute Malaysia counterparts headed by Dr Christine Fletcher and Dr Abdul Rahman Kassim, we thank them for their financial support, help and understanding. The Conservation of Biodiversity (CBioD) Project is a national project executed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment and implemented by the Forest Research Institute Malaysia. The CBioD Project is co-funded by the UNDP-GEF (MAL/04/G3) and ITTO [PD 165 02 Rev.3 (F)]. Key partners to the CBioD Project are Perak ITC S/B, Perak SEDC, Forestry Headquarters and State Forestry Departments of Peninsular Malaysia. The project is a joint effort with the University of Miami, Duke University and Harvard University. Thanks for three anonymous reviewers and the handling editor for their constructive comments and suggestions which improve the paper significantly.

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  1. School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    Che Salmah Md Rawi, Salman Abdo Al-Shami, Madziatul Rosemahanie Madrus & Abu Hassan Ahmad

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  1. Che Salmah Md Rawi
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  2. Salman Abdo Al-Shami
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  3. Madziatul Rosemahanie Madrus
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Correspondence to Salman Abdo Al-Shami.

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Handling Editor: Michael T. Monaghan

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Md Rawi, C.S., Al-Shami, S.A., Madrus, M.R. et al. Local effects of forest fragmentation on diversity of aquatic insects in tropical forest streams: implications for biological conservation. Aquat Ecol 47, 75–85 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-012-9426-8

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