Invertebrate abundance and diversity in agricultural and National park areas on Floreana Island, Galápagos

Abstract The widespread expansion of intensive agricultural practices and human activities is causing substantial changes in invertebrate composition, abundance, and diversity. The threat of human impacts and introduced species for biodiversity on oceanic islands like the Galápagos Archipelago is a cause for concern, given high levels of species endemism, and the lack of information on terrestrial invertebrate communities. This study compares the abundance and diversity of terrestrial invertebrate orders and species between protected National Park and human-modified agricultural sites on Floreana Island to generate preliminary insights and baseline data. Conducted in February and September 2022, we collected 15,437 specimens across 17 orders, from 320 samples at the study sites. Invertebrates were identified at the subclass or order level, and all ants were identified to species level. Agricultural land and National Park sites differed in invertebrate community structure, abundance, and diversity. Acarina, Collembola, Hemiptera, and Hymenoptera were predominantly found in agricultural land, and introduced ants, notably Solenopsis geminata and Wasmannia auropunctata , were also more abundant on agricultural land. This study establishes a baseline to compare differences in invertebrate community structure between protected and the human-modified agricultural sites, and against which to compare the impact of the ecological restoration activities on Floreana Island, Galápagos, that include eradication of invasive species and reintroduction of locally extinct species. Implications for insect conservation Our results suggest that agricultural land may be ideal habitat for invasive species, but may also support important taxa that are less abundant in currently protected areas.