Latvian coleopterologists study beetles in the tropical rainforests of the Philippines
Barševskis Barsevskis, Arvīds Arvids
Science that studies beetles is called coleopterology. This name comes from the Latin name of the beetle order Coleoptera. Daugavpils University has the only coleopterological research centre in Latvia and the Baltic, which is well-known in the world. Beetles are one of the most numerous and diverse species of insects in terms of insect orders in the world. More than 400 000 species are known to be found virtually everywhere around the globe, except in ocean waters and areas of ice and permafrost. Beetles live in forests, meadows, agrocenoses, rivers and lakes, caves, bird nests and human apartments. Beetles play an important role in nature. They promote decomposition of various parts of plants, including wood, they are natural sanitizers, they maintain the balance of ecosystems, pollinate plants, indicate significant changes in the environment. One of the research directions that beetle researchers at Daugavpils University are developing is the research of tropical beetle biodiversity. Tropical rainforests are currently one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Forests are cut down in huge numbers, giving way back to palm gardens and livestock pastures. At the same time, tropical forests have the highest biodiversity in the world and are very poorly studied in a number of regions. Beetle researchers at Daugavpils University mainly specialise in the study of beetle diversity in the Philippine archipelago.
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