Globally, there is a concerning decline in many insect populations, and this trend likely extends to all arthropods, potentially impacting unique island biota. Native non-endemic and endemic species on islands are under threat due to habitat destruction, with the introduction of exotic, and potentially invasive, species, further contributing to this decline. While long-term studies of plants and vertebrate fauna are available, long-term arthropod datasets are limited, hindering comparisons with better-studied taxa. The Biodiversity of Arthropods of the Laurisilva of the Azores (BALA) project has allowed gathering comprehensive data since 1997 in the Azorean Islands (Portugal), using standardised sampling methods across islands. The dataset includes arthropod counts from epigean (pitfall traps) and canopy-dwelling (beating samples) communities, enriched with species information, biogeographic origins, and IUCN categories. Metadata associated with the sample protocol and events, like sample identifier, archive number, sampled tree species, and trap type are also recorded. The database is available in multiple formats, including Darwin Core, which facilitates the ecological analysis of pressing environmental concerns, such as arthropod population declines and biological invasions.

在全球范围内，许多昆虫种群数量正在减少，这一趋势可能会扩展到所有节肢动物，从而可能影响独特的岛屿生物群。由于栖息地破坏，岛屿上的本地非特有和特有物种受到威胁，而外来和潜在入侵物种的引入进一步加剧了这种下降。虽然可以对植物和脊椎动物群进行长期研究，但长期节肢动物数据集有限，阻碍了与更好研究的分类单元的比较。自 1997 年以来，亚速尔群岛劳里斯尔瓦节肢动物生物多样性 (BALA) 项目利用跨岛屿标准化采样方法，在亚速尔群岛（葡萄牙）收集了全面的数据。该数据集包括来自表层（陷阱）和树冠栖息（跳动样本）群落的节肢动物计数，丰富了物种信息、生物地理起源和 IUCN 类别。还记录了与样本协议和事件相关的元数据，例如样本标识符、档案号、采样树种和陷阱类型。该数据库有多种格式，包括 Darwin Core，它有助于对节肢动物种群数量下降和生物入侵等紧迫的环境问题进行生态分析。