Hulcr participated in a study that monitored the diversity of about 500 species of caterpillars, beetles and fruit flies that lived in the rain forests of Papua New Guinea.

The study found that those insect communities stayed the same throughout the rain forest, Hulcr said. Researchers previously thought some insects lived in only one small piece of the rain forest, an aspect of the insects’ life that may have been determined by food availability.

That means it’s important to preserve larger areas of rain forest instead of smaller scattered areas, Hulcr said. Tropical rain forests should be preserved because they are an area with a tremendous amount of diversity, he said.

“It’s something a person who hasn’t been to a tropical rain forest can’t easily understand … it’s irreplaceable, and if we lose it, it may never come back,” Hulcr said.

Jessica Albosta, a nursing junior, said she’s glad to hear about the effort.

“It’s important to try to keep natural life alive and healthy and all the different species for the diversity,” Albosta said.

MSU assistant professor of entomology Anthony Cognato, who also participated in the research, is performing similar studies in Borneo, Ecuador, Guyana, Ghana and Thailand.

“The study shows the importance of conserving the tropical diversity of the rain forest,” Cognato said.

Hulcr said he spent a year and a half total in New Guinea working with local tribes on the research, and the experience was rewarding.

“That takes time and patience and an open mind,” he said. “Insects in general are the most diverse form of organisms in the rain forest.”