Diversity and distribution of forest canopy Coleoptera on eastern Viti Levu, Fiji Islands

Waqa-Sakiti, Hilda F.V. and Winder, L. (2012) Diversity and distribution of forest canopy Coleoptera on eastern Viti Levu, Fiji Islands. Pacific Conservation Biology, 18 . pp. 177-185. ISSN 1038-2097

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Abstract

In Fiji, few systematic studies have been conducted that describe insect distributions, especially with respect to
ecological gradients (e.g., habitat type, climate, altitude, and seasonality) that are known to influence their diversity
and distribution. In this study, canopy coleopteran assemblages within undisturbed forest in eastern Viti Levu, Fiji, were intensively surveyed over a range of geographical locations and altitudes, namely lowland Nakobalevu (200–400 m), upland Waisoi (400–600 m) and cloud montane forest Monasavu (600–1000 m). Dominant beetle families sampled
from the canopy included Curculionidae, Chrysomelidae and Staphylinidae. Multidimensional scaling revealed a division
in the canopy beetle assemblages between lowland forest (<400 m), upland forest (400–600 m) and cloud montane
forests (600–1 000 m). We tentatively conclude that diversity was highest at mid-to-high altitudes represented at Monasavu. Direct Gradient Analysis (RDA) indicated that 49% of data variability was explained by two axes that
represented altitude and seasonality respectively.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	altitude, Coleoptera, diversity, assemblage, Fiji
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > Institute of Applied Science
Depositing User:	Hilda Sakiti-Waqa
Date Deposited:	07 Aug 2013 00:42
Last Modified:	24 Jul 2017 02:35
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/6135

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