Moth Inventory at Canopy and Ground Level, Far North Queensland Rainforest SuperSite, Robson Creek, 2010

Moth are a hyper diverse and ecologically important group and are good candidates as indicators for rapid categorisation and monitoring of habitat quality and change. Moths have been used as indicators in a variety of diferent terrestrial ecosystems, such as rainforests, temperate forests and agri-ecosystems. We sampled the moth assemblages at canopy and ground level at five sites within a 25 ha plot, at Robson Creek, Atherton. Two Pennsylvania light traps were run simultaneously on each trapping night, with one trap at ground level and one in the canopy. Vertical stratification of moth species, between the ground and canopy levels, can result in distinct ground and canopy fauna. Putting light traps at both the ground and canopy ensured the widest sampling of moth diversity (Beck et al., 2002). The preliminary results here are significant differences in the moth assemblages at the canopy and ground levels. Further analysis investigating the taxonomic composition of canopy and ground assemblages is underway.蛾类是物种多样性极为丰富且在生态系统中具有重要意义的类群，亦是开展快速分类及生境质量与变化监测的理想指示类群。目前蛾类已在多种陆地生态系统中被用作指示物种，涵盖热带雨林、温带森林与农业生态系统等类型。本研究在阿瑟顿（Atherton）的罗布森溪（Robson Creek）区域内一块25公顷的样地中，于5个采样点分别对林冠层与地面层的蛾类群落进行了采样。每个采样夜间均同时布设两台宾夕法尼亚（Pennsylvania）诱虫灯，一台置于地面层，另一台设于林冠层。蛾类物种在地面层与林冠层间存在显著的垂直分层现象，这可形成特征迥异的地面与林冠层动物群落。在两层均布设诱虫灯，可实现蛾类多样性的最大化采样（Beck等，2002）。本研究的初步结果显示，林冠层与地面层的蛾类群落存在显著差异。目前针对林冠层与地面层群落的分类学组成的深入分析工作正在推进中。