Stratification of insect diversity and daily activity patterns in the West African virgin forest Taï assessed by entomological Lidar

Abstract

Abstract Lidar technology was utilized to non-destructively explore the diverse insect life in the Taï virgin forest of Côte d’Ivoire. This study employed an entomological Lidar scanned at different elevation angles, combined with traditional insect trapping at different canopy heights, to investigate the composition and spatial–temporal distribution of insects within the forest canopy. We detected stratified patterns of insect activity at various canopy heights, revealing differences in the composition of Lidar signals reflecting divergent species composition with height and time-of-day, indicative of height-dependent insect biodiversity. The optical properties of captured insects, including wing specularity and polarimetric response, were analyzed and correlated with Lidar signals, revealing distinct insect clusters and activity patterns at different canopy heights. These findings show the potential of using Lidar to non-invasively assess insect diversity continuously across complex canopies to uncover species composition in ecosystems with high species diversity.