Variations of arthropod biodiversity due to human intervention and climatic variations study of a protected and a non-protected area in a tropical forest

Abstract

The diversity of the arthropod fauna from the pacific coast in southern Mexico was investigated in order to study and compare the biodiversity of two different regions. One is located within the Biosphere reserve "La encrucijada" and the second one on the edges of this reserve at a non-protected region. Both regions are also ecologically different in terms of humidity and temperature. To collect the material seven different trap methods were used, arthropods were classified at order level, Diptera also at family level and of the Diptera family Psychodidae, genera were also identified. Twenty-eight orders have been identified, showing some regional differences in composition and abundance. As a general conclusion we observe that no big statistical differences can be observed at order or family level (only Diptera) between the protected area and the non-protected area. This difference shows an unexpected greater diversity in the non-protected area. At genus level (only Psychodidae) however, the diversity of moth flies was slightly greater in the preserved area. We conclude that climatic variations are probably playing an important role at low systematic level (order and family) and that human intervention (e.g. agriculture) becomes more important at genus level.