Investigating the effects of fragmentation and environmental change on tropical montane butterflies and moths

森林砍伐是东南亚生物多样性的主要威胁，在过去十年中，东南亚失去了14%以上的森林覆盖。再加上气候变化，预计到本世纪初亚洲气温将上升6摄氏度，山区物种正面临前所未有的灭绝风险。全球发表的关于生境退化对热带山地昆虫影响的文章不足50篇。鉴于马来西亚半岛的山地森林因农业扩张而迅速枯竭，评估毁林和破碎化对山地生物多样性的影响势在必行。此外，山地森林是许多脆弱物种最后的避难所，因为大多数低地森林已被砍伐殆尽。这些森林对于维持整个半岛以及高地和低地之间的栖息地连通性和基因流动至关重要。然而，很少有研究试图评估昆虫群落如何应对马来西亚半岛山地森林的恶化。在这里，我们关注的是蝴蝶和飞蛾，因为它们作为传粉者在生态中起着至关重要的作用。本项目将结合已有的生态学研究方法和分子分析方法，在不同程度的干扰和破碎化的山地森林遗址中评估蝴蝶和飞蛾的多样性、分布、基因组多样性和基因流。该项目的研究成果将为昆虫生物多样性热点地区的保护管理和缓解提供科学依据。

Deforestation is a major threat to biodiversity in South-East Asia where more than 14% of forest cover was lost in the last decade [1]. Combined with climate change, which is expected to rise by 6C in Asia by the turn of the century, montane species are facing an unprecedented risk of extinction [2].There are fewer than 50 articles published globally on the impacts of habitat degradation on tropical montane insects [3]. Given that montane forests in Peninsular Malaysia have been rapidly depleted due to agricultural expansion, assessing the impact of deforestation and fragmentation on montane biodiversity is imperative. Further, montane forests are the last refuges for many vulnerable species since most lowland forests are cleared. These forests are essential for maintaining habitat connectivity and gene flow across the peninsular and between the highlands and lowlands. However, little research has attempted to assess how the insect communities respond to the deterioration of montane forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Here, we focus on butterflies and moths as they play a crucial ecological role as pollinators. This project will combine well established ecological research methods with molecular analysis to assess the butterfly and moth diversity, distribution, genomic diversity and gene flow across multiple montane forest sites with varying levels of disturbance and fragmentation. The outcome of this project will provide the scientific basis to inform conservation management and mitigation in insect biodiversity hotspots.