Pakistan Journal of Zoological Sciences, Volume 1, Issue 1 (eBook)

Pakistan Journal of Zoolical Sciences (PJZS) (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
46 Seiten
Publishdrive (Verlag)
9780000969675 (ISBN)

Infos

This is the complete archive of Pakistan Journal of Zoological Sciences, Volume 1, Issue 1 (2025). It contains:

The full inaugural issue (PDF)

Individual articles (e.g., research papers on microplastics in fish, mosquito ecology)

Supplementary materials (datasets, high-resolution figures)

Editorial assets (cover image, editorial board list)

Purpose: Preserves the journal's first issue for long-term access and indexing.

Textauszug

Materials and Methods

Data Collection

This study on Diptera biodiversity and distribution, with emphasis on bioclimatic factors, is conducted in Faisalabad, located in central Punjab, Pakistan. Covering 5,856 square kilometers at 31°24′N and 73°04′E, Faisalabad comprises urban, rural, and agricultural landscapes. The district's semi-arid climate features hot summers with temperatures reaching 40°C and mild winters with nighttime lows near 10°C. Rainfall is concentrated during the monsoon season from July to September, contributing 300–400 mm annually as shown in Fig 1. These climate variations make Faisalabad a suitable site for studying insect biodiversity responses to environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and precipitation.

 

 

Figure 1. Collection sites were within and around the Faisalabad region of Punjab, Pakistan.

 

The district's diverse habitats including urban parks, sidewalks, residential zones, agricultural fields, and riparian wetlands offer varied ecological conditions for Diptera species. Urban areas, despite human interference, sustain biodiversity in green spaces like parks and gardens. Agricultural regions produce wheat, rice, sugarcane, and cotton, offering suitable conditions for pollinators, decomposers, and pest-regulating flies. Wetlands and canals further enrich habitat diversity by supporting semi-aquatic species. Although urbanization has diminished natural forest cover, scattered forest patches and riverbank reserves continue to offer refuge for many Dipteran species. This environmental gradient, ranging from urban to wetland zones, allows for a detailed analysis of how temperature, moisture, and vegetation influence Diptera distribution. It also provides insight into the impacts of land use and climatic change on local biodiversity.

Diptera species exhibit marked sensitivity to bioclimatic variables. Many displays temperature-dependent seasonal life cycles, with some preferring moist conditions driven by precipitation levels. Relative humidity significantly influences survival and activity, especially in semi-arid zones. Solar radiation affects species behavior and reproduction. By assessing these factors, the study aims to explain Diptera distribution patterns across varied habitats in the Faisalabad district.

 

Data Processing

 

To determine Diptera richness and abundance, a comprehensive approach involving sampling, specimen handling, identification, and statistical analysis will be applied:

• Sampling Design
• Insect Pinning
• Identification of Insects
• Data Analysis
• Statistical Analysis

 

Sampling Design

 

A stratified random sampling approach will be used to ensure representative coverage of urban, rural, and agricultural habitats. Selected sites will vary by elevation, land use, and vegetation type to reflect different bioclimatic conditions. Collection tools will include pan traps for ground insects, yellow sticky traps for flying adults, Malaise traps for aerial species, and sweep nets for plant-dwelling Diptera. Light traps will be used to attract nocturnal species.

Sampling will occur every two weeks over 12 months to capture seasonal fluctuations in species diversity. Simultaneously, temperature, humidity, rainfall, and solar radiation data will be gathered using GIS-based tools and local meteorological records. This will enable correlation between environmental variables and Diptera distribution and diversity.

 

Pinning of Insects

 

Standard entomological techniques will be used to preserve collected Diptera specimens. Each insect will be pinned through the thorax, with careful positioning of wings and legs to maintain diagnostic features. Specimens will be stored in insect boxes and labeled with detailed collection information, including date, location, and local climate conditions at the time of capture. A controlled dry environment will ensure long-term preservation and prevent deterioration. These specimens will be maintained as a reference collection for future identification and taxonomic verification.

 

Identification of Insects

 

Insect identification will rely on both morphological and molecular approaches. Morphological classification will be based on established taxonomic keys that emphasize traits such as wing venation, antenna structure, and body segmentation (Mullen & Durden, 2002; Freidberg, 2008). When specimens lack distinguishable physical features or fall into cryptic groups, DNA barcoding will be employed. This involves analyzing the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene to confirm species identity. The resulting sequences will be compared with global reference databases like the Barcode of Life Database (BOLD). All identified species will be cataloged, and relevant bioclimatic data will be used to assess species-environment relationships.

 

Statistical Analysis

 

Data analysis will include both univariate and multivariate techniques to explore the relationships between Diptera diversity and environmental factors. Diversity indices such as species richness, Shannon-Wiener, and Simpson’s index will quantify the species composition in different habitats. Multivariate tools, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), will be used to examine how climate variables—temperature, precipitation, humidity, and solar radiation—influence community structure and species distribution. To forecast the potential distribution of Diptera under various climate scenarios, the MaxEnt (Maximum Entropy) species distribution modeling tool will be used. This model integrates presence-only data with environmental variables to predict suitable habitats. Statistical analysis will be conducted using R software (version 4.0) and SPSS (version 25), ensuring robust interpretation and reproducibility. These tools will help clarify how climatic and ecological factors interact to shape Diptera biodiversity across Faisalabad’s heterogeneous landscape.

 

Results and Discussion

Figure 2. PCA of Bioclimatic Variables.

 

Fig 1. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed key climatic factors influencing Diptera distribution across various sites in District Faisalabad. The first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 61% of total variance. PC1 mainly reflected temperature-related variables (e.g., annual mean temperature, seasonality), while PC2 represented precipitation and moisture (e.g., rainfall in the wettest quarter).

Sites like Chak 195 RB Jandawala and Laman Pind—positioned in the upper-right PCA quadrant—exhibited high temperature and humidity, supporting moisture-dependent Dipteran species such as mosquitoes and crane flies. Meanwhile, areas like Mansoorabad and Gut Wala Park (top-left quadrant) showed cooler but moist conditions, ideal for species such as non-biting midges and fungus gnats. The lower-left quadrant, including UAF University and Jannah Garden, had both low temperature and precipitation, likely limiting Diptera diversity to generalist species like Muscidae. In contrast, the lower-right quadrant (Painsra, Chak 189 JB Rasoolpur) featured hot, arid conditions favoring thermophilic and xerophilic species, albeit with reduced overall diversity.

Figure 3. K-means Cluster on PCA.

 

K-means clustering Fig 3, helped group locations by climate similarity. Moderate environments like Chak 119 and Madina Town clustered near the PCA center, indicating balanced conditions that support greater Diptera diversity. More extreme sites such as Painsra and Makuwana, located at PCA margins, exhibited either heat stress or moisture extremes, supporting more specialized Dipteran communities. These groupings validated the importance of microclimatic gradients in determining insect distribution and biodiversity hotspots.

 

Figure 4. Correlation Matrix.

 

The correlation matrix displayed associations between Diptera abundance, total species richness, and 19 bioclimatic variables (BIO1–BIO19) as shown in Fig 4. Bright yellow tones indicated strong positive correlations, particularly between species richness and variables like Bio10 (mean temperature of the warmest quarter) and Bio18 (precipitation of the warmest quarter), suggesting these factors promote Diptera diversity. Negative correlations highlighted in dark blue indicated climatic stress, such as high maximum temperatures (Bio5) reducing species presence. This matrix provided valuable ecological thresholds and highlighted key drivers affecting Diptera communities, crucial for modeling climate impacts and informing biodiversity conservation in Faisalabad.

Discussion

Study's findings demonstrate how bioclimatic factors particularly temperature and precipitation have great influence on the distribution and abundance of Diptera species in Faisalabad. This is in line with earlier studies that emphasize how climate influences the makeup of insect communities (e.g., Zhang et al., 2020; Hammami et al., 2021). Spatial differences between study sites were well-represented by the PCA plot, which demonstrated that areas with moderate to high humidity and temperature, as Chak 195 RB Jandawala and Laman Pind, support a higher diversity of Diptera. This lends credence to the ecological theory that warm, humid climates promote insect reproduction and survival by providing adequate food supplies and larval homes (Rogers and Randolph, 2006).

Conversely, localities such as UAF University and Chak 188RB Nalyawala, with lower temperatures and limited...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 30.6.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Technik
• ISBN-13: 9780000969675 / 9780000969675