Struktur Komunitas Coleoptera di Resort Sukamade Taman Nasional Meru Betiri dan Pemanfaatannya Sebagai Buku Ilmiah Populer

Abstract

Coleoptera are one of the most diverse insect groups and play important ecological roles in ecosystems. Resort Sukamade in Meru Betiri National Park comprises diverse habitat types that potentially support high Coleoptera diversity, yet ecological information regarding this group remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the community structure of Coleoptera, vegetation diversity, abiotic factors, microhabitat preferences, and their utilization as a popular scientific book. The study employed an exploratory survey using transects across four habitat types: coastal forest, open land, riverside, and dense canopy forest. Coleoptera were sampled using sweep nets, and hand collecting, whereas vegetation data were obtained by recording and counting all plant individuals encountered along the transects. The results recorded 1,311 Coleoptera individuals belonging to 46 species from 15 families and 51 vegetation species. Dense canopy forest exhibited the high Coleoptera diversity (H′ = 2.784), while open land showed the high vegetation diversity (H′ = 2.8). The high Coleoptera similarity occurred between open land and dense canopy forest (~0.50), whereas vegetation similarity was highest between open land and riverside habitats (~0.40–0.45). Relative abundance and importance value index (INP) of Coleoptera were highest for Ceratapion sp. in the riverside habitat, while Harpullia arborea had the highest abundance and INP among vegetation in the dense canopy forest. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that air humidity and litter thickness were the main abiotic factors influencing Coleoptera distribution, whereas Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that vegetation complexity contributed to the availability of microhabitats and food resources. Coleoptera microhabitat preference was dominated by leaf substrates, particularly for members of Chrysomelidae and Coccinellidae. The developed popular scientific book obtained a validation score of 82% and was categorized as feasible for public use.