Macro-moth (Lepidoptera) Diversity of a Newly Shaped Ecological Corridor and the Surrounding Forest Area in the Western Italian Alps

In addition to the compilation of biodiversity inventories, checklists, especially if combined with abundance data, are important tools to understand species distribution, habitat use, and community composition over time. Their importance is even higher when ecological indicator taxa are considered,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity (Basel) 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.95
Main Authors: Piccini, Irene, Depetris, Marta, Paradiso, Federica, Cochis, Francesca, Audisio, Michela, Artioli, Patrick, Smargiassi, Stefania, Bonifacino, Marco, Giuliano, Davide, La Cava, Sara, Rijllo, Giuseppe, Bonelli, Simona, Scalercio, Stefano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abundance
Biodiversity
Butterflies & moths
Check lists
clearing
Climate change
Community composition
Construction sites
Datasets
diversity indexes
Ecology
Environmental changes
Environmental impact
Forests
geo-referenced occurrences
Geographical distribution
Habitat utilization
Habitats
Heterocera
High speed rail
Insects
Lepidoptera
Light traps
New records
Reforestation
Species richness
Topography
Vegetation
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Summary:In addition to the compilation of biodiversity inventories, checklists, especially if combined with abundance data, are important tools to understand species distribution, habitat use, and community composition over time. Their importance is even higher when ecological indicator taxa are considered, as in the case of moths. In this work, we investigated macro-moth diversity in a forest area (30 ha) in the Western Italian Alps, recently subjected to intense management activities. Indeed, an ecological corridor, which includes 10 clearings, has been shaped thanks to forest compensation related to the construction site of the Turin–Lyon High-Speed Railway. Here, we identified 17 patches (9 clearings and 8 forests), and we conducted moth surveys using UV–LED light traps. A total of 15,614 individuals belonging to 442 species were collected in 2020 and 2021. Two and fifteen species are new records for Piedmont and for Susa Valley, respectively. In addition to the faunistic interest of the data, this study—using a standardized method—provides geo-referenced occurrences, species-richness, and abundance values useful to compile a baseline dataset for future comparisons. Indeed, the replicable and easy shareable method allows us to make comparisons with other research and thus assess the impact of environmental changes.
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d15010095