Open AccessCommunity structure of pollinating insects and its driving factors in different habitats of Shivapuri‐Nagarjun National Park, Nepal
Author(s) -
Dyola Urmila,
Baniya Chitra Bahadur,
Acharya Pushpa Raj,
Subedi Pradip,
Pandey Anjeela,
Sapkota Kumar
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.8653
Subject(s) - pollinator , species richness , abundance (ecology) , ecology , pollination , habitat , biology , national park , biodiversity , geography , relative species abundance , insect , pollen
Abstract Insect pollinators are important means for a stable ecosystem. The habitat types play a crucial role in the community composition, abundance, diversity, and species richness of the pollinators. The present study in Shivapuri‐Nagarjun National Park explored the species richness and abundances of insect pollinators in four different habitats and different environmental variables in determining the community composition of the pollinators. Data were collected from 1,500 m to 2,700 m using color pan traps and hand sweeping methods. Non‐Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Redundancy Analysis (RDA) were conducted to show the association between insect pollinators and environmental variables. The results firmly demonstrated that species richness and abundances were higher (158) in Open trail compared to other habitats. The distribution of the pollinator species was more uniform in the Open trail followed by the Grassland. Similarly, a strong positive correlation between flower resources and pollinators' abundance (R 2 = .63, P < .001) was found. In conclusion, the Open trail harbors rich insect pollinators in lower elevation. The community structure of the pollinators was strongly influenced by the presence of flowers in the trails.