Monitoring Biodiversity and Temperature-Dependent Patterns of Insects in Wet and Moist Sal Forest of Western Himalayas

Sal forest ecosystems are home to a diverse array of insect communities. The Western Himalayan range, particularly the Shivaliks, is characterized by its sal forests, which exhibit significant ecoclimatic habitat variability. Sal forests of the Himalayas support a rich diversity of insect fauna. The study investigated, investigated the turnover of insect communities, species diversity, seasonal fluctuations, and their correlation with temperature across two distinct sal forests with different rainfall regimes. Through random sampling, we monitored the insect fauna in both wet and sal forest. The two forest types have significantly similar species composition and diversity. Order Lepidoptera predominates in both forests, and most insect communities exhibit higher species diversity during the warmer summer months. In total, 7,787 individuals representing 92 species and 13 orders were recorded, with 64 species shared between sites and relatively low turnover (31% dissimilarity). Principal component analysis revealed a strong temperature dependence, with insect communities thriving between 24–34°C, highlighting a distinct thermal niche across both forests. Further studies that emphasize the need for conservation and long-term monitoring of insect fauna in this region is recommended.