Species Diversity of Terrestrial Arthropods in the Forest Ecosystem of Bugkalots in Wasid, Nagtipunan, Quirino

Abstract

Bugkalots are considered to have an intimate connection with the forest. Their existence and culture are closely
intertwined with the forest, so their very existence may be impaired by biodiversity loss. In the animal kingdom,
arthropods are the most diverse taxonomic group. When used as bio-indicators, they can provide valuable
information related to the function and stability of ecosystems. A survey was conducted of arthropods using
opportunistic sampling and net sweeping. The diversity of species was determined using the Shannon-Weiner index
and the Simpson’s diversity indices. The major arthropod fauna in the Bugkalots forest ecosystem were species
belonging to Class Insecta. There were 22 taxa documented consisting of 21 insect species and one Chilopoda
species. Only one species was found to be abundant while all the remaining species were found to be rare. Based on
the computed Simpson index value (0.7835), the species diversity in the study area was high. The Shannon-Weiner
index showed moderate species diversity in the study area, implying moderate species richness and species
evenness. Ten of the 22 identified species of arthropods were pollinators, seven were predators, and five were pests.