THE EFFECT OF ELEVATION ON DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF CLASS INSECTA AT GUNUNG DATUK, NEGERI SEMBILAN

Abstract

Insect are among the most diverse and ecologically important
organisms on the earth, but their diversity and abundance are
rarely quantified. The study was set out at Gunung Datuk, Negeri
Sembilan with the objective to determine the diversity and
abundance of insects and to identify the differences in their
distribution of different elevations of Gunung Datuk forest by
using the Malaise traps. Overall, a total of 15 orders of insects
comprising 1678 individuals were successfully identified. Low
and high elevations recorded with both 1027 and 651 individuals
collected respectively which belong to 14 orders each. Even
though both elevations recorded the same number of orders, but
not all orders present at low elevation were present at high
elevation. High existence of flowering trees and near to stream
water at low elevation make them to have more abundant insect 

rather than at high elevation. Diptera was found to be the most
abundant order at Gunung Datuk forest with the total percentage
of 51.97 followed by Hymenoptera (11.17%) and Lepidoptera
(9.91%). The least number of individuals collected was
Ephmeroptera with only one individual collected respectively.
The Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (H’) showed that low
elevation had the highest diversity with the value of H’=1.29.
Meanwhile, the T-test results showed that both elevations did not
differ significantly with P > 0.05. Cluster analysis revealed there
were no specific patterns of abundant for insects’ order along the
elavational and latitudinal gradient.