Multiple insect surveys have been carried out since the foundation of the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters. In order to enhance our knowledge of the insect ecosystem at Mount Daxue, the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters invited Professor Yu-Feng Hsu of National Taiwan Normal University, who has long been devoted to the study of insects, and his team to conduct the Shei-Pa National Park Mount Daxue Area Significant Insects Survey.

Major Role of Insects in High Mountains

Taiwan's high mountains are home to a variety of glacial relict species that have gradually become endemic species with the passing of time. Insects, in particular, play a major role in the high mountain ecosystem by pollinating and providing nutrients to plants. Additionally, insects are also significant species that help us evaluate whether changes have occurred in the high mountain environment and natural habitats have been destroyed. The findings of this study can therefore serve as an important scientific basis to determine the success of our species management strategy.

Outstanding Research Findings Thanks to Specialty of Each Team

The team of Professor Yu-Feng Hsu specializes in studying butterflies. They also invited experts in all insect domains to assist in asserting the species of insect specimens and make the research outcomes more comprehensive. After two years of work, a total of 9 new species were discovered and 18 insect species were selected to serve as specimens for observing the shifts in the high mountain environment. Many new species have yet to be announced by the research team in the future. Their findings are promising.

Mount Daxue has a wealth of native species and biodiversity. The study not only documented rare and precious species in the area, but can also be used to compare the population structures of insects in artificial forests and natural forests across high mountain forest trails. Natural forests consist of primary vegetation with high tree biodiversity, a large insect population, and a variety of insect species. Artificial forests, on the other hand, are those planted for commercial purposes; only profitable tree species are selected, easily resulting in a monospecies tree population with an equally reduced number of insect species.

Join the Ranks of Citizen Scientists to Preserve the Beauty of Taiwan's Ecology

Professor Hsu remarked how in 1964, Professor Chung-Tu Yang found a Boloria pales yangi in Li Mountain, Taichung City and made it into a specimen. Professor Hsu then traveled abroad to compare the specimen and confirmed that this was a new butterfly subspecies only present in Taiwan.

Over the years, Professor Hsu has never given up on re-encountering the Boloria pales yangi, which has motivated his long-term research of high mountain insects. Professor Hsu encourages the general public to join the ranks of citizen scientists by taking photos and clearly labeling their time and location. These can then be provided to the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters to enable experts and scientists to accumulate a more comprehensive insect register with a greater diversity and wealth of insect species.