In general, insect diversity is highest in habitats with the
most plant diversity and is lowest in shrub, grass and
open areas [1]. The diversity of beetle and some moth
groups is high in natural forests and low in secondary
forests [2, 3]. Butterfly diversity, however, is usually lower
in natural forests, higher in disturbed forests, and highest
in moderately disturbed forests [4–8], or forest edges [9,
10]. Other studies have also indicated that the numbers
of butterfly species and individuals are high in disturbed
and regenerating forests and low in natural forests [11,
12]. Warren [13] indicated that there were few butterfly
species in the habitat with thick forest canopy and, vice
versa, more butterfly species in the habitat with less forest
canopy. Diversity of butterflies increases with increasing of
habitat scale and vegetation structure complex [14]. This
shows that a forest habitat with more forest canopy layers
and high vegetation diversity supports more insect species
than a forest habitat with less forest canopy layers and less
vegetation diversity.
The diversity of butterfly communities has been studied
in different habitat types in different parts of the world
including tropical forest of Southeast Asia. However, there
have not been many studies on the diversity of butterfly
communities in tropical forests within different habitat types
including stream sides in the forest. Stream side habitats
in the forest may play an important role in conserving a
portion of tropical biodiversity, of which insects are a major
part, but little data is available. The forest edge which has
more exposure to the open also has the greatest diversity of
butterflies [10]. The gaps in the forest have higher diversity of
butterflies than the closed forest areas [15]. The stream sides
with more open space should therefore have a high diversity
of butterflies.
The hypothesis of this study is that the stream sides in the
forest have the greatest butterfly diversity; the bamboo forest
has the lowest community diversity.