Insect pollinator's community structure in different habitats of
Shivapuri--Nagarjun National Park, Nepal
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 1500 m–2700 m
using 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 in open trails 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 pollinator’s abundance was found. In conclusion, the open
trail harbor rich insect pollinators in lower elevation. The community
structure of the pollinators was strongly influenced by the presence of
flowers in the trails.