Typhoon in the Philippines may not negatively affect butterfly diversity, but land use changes does

Abstract

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually and how they affect the unique biodiversity is still unknown. The data sampling of butterflies between typhoon and non-typhoon seasons in various habitats showed that typhoons may play an important role in butterfly diversity and community changes. The result also showed that land-use change still has a greater negative impact on butterfly diversity than typhoons. This study will pave way for more research on how typhoons affect the diversity, ecology, and population dynamics of various taxa in the Philippines.