Diversity of moth species and the identifying indicator species in five different forest habitats of southern Korea

Background/Question/Methods

The abundance and species richness of moths was evaluated in 16 sites in southern Korea to determine the patterns of diversity for moths in this area. A total of 975 moth species were recognized in the six-month collection periods (May to October) between 2001 and 2007. A matrix of 536 × 36 was adopted for clustering, and indicator species were determined after removing species with less than five individuals (370 species) and species that were found at fewer than three sites (36 species).

Results/Conclusions Five different groups were recognized based on clustering analysis (seashore secondary forest, evergreen deciduous forest, inland young secondary forest, inland mixed deciduous forest, and inland high elevation conifer and deciduous forest). Patterns of diversity within four of the five groups were similar, but the diversity in the high elevation sites was significantly lower than that of the other four groups. Sixty-three species were recognized in five different habitat types based on indicator species analysis. Many indicator species were found to be monophagous herbivores. In the present study, we determined the general pattern of moth diversity in different types of forest in southern Korea and identified indicator moth species that can be used to track future changes in forest structure as the forests age.