Effect of Habitat Fragmentation on Butterfly Diversity in Tropical Forests

Abstract

Deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urbanization are major drivers of habitat fragmentation, which poses a serious danger to tropical ecosystem biodiversity. The eradication and fragmentation of forest ecosystems has a disproportionate impact on butterflies because of their sensitivity as bioindicators of environmental change. this study used field surveys, species richness assessments, and landscape ecology frameworks to examine the impact of habitat fragmentation on butterfly diversity in tropical forests. As a result of fragmentation, species richness, abundance, and community composition are significantly reduced. Specialist and forest-dependent butterflies are hit the most by this. Fragmented landscapes tend to support more generalist and edge-adapted species, which can lead to a decrease in functional diversity and biotic homogeneity. Habitat fragmentation limits the survival of specialized species and changes species interactions by interfering with dispersal, host plant availability, and microclimatic stability, among other important ecological processes.