Single Night Surveys of Moth Communities Can Serve as Ultra-Rapid Biodiversity Assessments.

ABSTRACT: Biodiversity conservation decisions are typically based on limited data and resources. For this reason, there is great interest in surveying taxa that may allow for a rapid assessment of the biodiversity at a site. Numerous taxa have been proposed and utilized for rapid assessments that allow for such a survey in a matter of weeks or less. Herein, we test the idea that nocturnal moths have many of the characteristics that make them ideal for such surveys, such as relative ease of identification, strong ecological association with specific plant species and habitats, high alpha diversity, extended seasonal activity, and ease of trapping. We demonstrate that even in a few hours of sampling during single night surveys, moth communities are predictive of regional forest types at sampling sites

SUBMITTER: Duran DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9781280 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature