Moth Communities Reveal High Stability Despite Ongoing Compositional Shifts Over Five Years Following Hurricane...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Climate Change Biology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Extreme climatic events, intensified by climate change, pose significant threats to global biodiversity.
• Insect declines raise concerns for ecosystem stability due to cascading effects across trophic levels.
• Understanding insect responses to large-scale disturbances, especially in tropical forests, is crucial but limited by scarce data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the response trajectories and ecological stability of moth communities in Puerto Rican forests after major hurricanes.
• To assess changes in moth abundance, richness, and composition over a 5-year period post-disturbance.
• To evaluate community and family-level ecological stability, including resistance, resilience, and recovery.

Main Methods:

• Conducted monthly moth surveys 5 months pre- and 6 months post-hurricanes, followed by annual surveys for 5 years.
• Tracked changes in moth abundance, richness, and community composition.
• Quantified ecological stability using metrics of resistance, resilience, recovery, and temporal stability for the overall community and specific families (Crambidae, Erebidae, Geometridae).

Main Results:

• Moth abundance and richness initially declined but surpassed baseline levels within the first year, particularly in old-growth tabonuco stands.
• Resistance varied by family; Crambidae increased while Geometridae experienced significant species loss.
• Abundance and richness stabilized within 2 years, with ongoing shifts in species composition and evidence of community recovery within 5 years.

Conclusions:

• The Puerto Rican moth community demonstrated significant resilience and recovery following hurricane disturbances.
• Old-growth tabonuco stands may offer more stable microhabitats, supporting community resilience.
• Multi-year post-disturbance data are essential for understanding insect recovery pathways and ecological stability in the face of intensifying extreme events.