The functioning of different beetle (Coleoptera) sampling methods across altitudinal gradients in Peninsular Malaysia

Musthafa, Muneeb M. and Abdullah, Fauziah and Koivula, Matti J. (2022) The functioning of different beetle (Coleoptera) sampling methods across altitudinal gradients in Peninsular Malaysia. PLoS ONE, 17 (3). ISSN 1932-6203, DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266076.

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Abstract

Biodiversity research relies largely on knowledge about species responses to environmental gradients, assessed using some commonly applied sampling method. However, the consistency of detected responses using different sampling methods, and thus the generality of findings, has seldom been assessed in tropical ecosystems. Hence, we studied the response consistency and indicator functioning of beetle assemblages in altitudinal gradients from two mountains in Malaysia, using Malaise, light, and pitfall traps. The data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLMM), non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), multivariate regression trees (MRT), and indicator species analysis (IndVal). We collected 198 morpho-species of beetles representing 32 families, with a total number of 3,052 individual beetles. The richness measures generally declined with increasing altitude. The mountains differed little in terms of light and Malaise trap data but differed remarkably in pitfall-trap data. Only light traps (but not the other trap types) distinguished high from middle or low altitudes in terms of beetle richness and assemblage composition. The lower altitudes hosted about twice as many indicators as middle or high altitudes, and many species were trap-type specific in our data. These results suggest that the three sampling methods reflected the altitudinal gradient in different ways and the detection of community variation in the environment thus depends on the chosen sampling method. However, also the analytical approach appeared important, further underlining the need to use multiple methods in environmental assessments.

Item Type: Article
Funders: Universiti Malaya [Grant No: RP004E/13SUS & PG059/2014B]
Uncontrolled Keywords: Species group; Ground beetles; Staphylinidae; Elevation; Traps
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions: Faculty of Science > Institute of Biological Sciences
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) Office > Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture
Depositing User: Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim
Date Deposited: 12 Oct 2023 03:18
Last Modified: 12 Oct 2023 03:18
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/42316

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