Associations of butterflies across different forest types in Uttarakhand, western Himalaya, India: implications for conservation planning
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Champion & Seth classified Indian forests into different ‘forest types and sub-types’, based on similarity of dominant vegetation and structural arrangement of species in each. However, it is not known if the species composition and community structure of butterflies is also different in each forest sub-type. If this is the case then each forest sub-type harbouring unique species can be taken as units of conservation on a sub-regional scale. The present study assesses for the first time the species composition and community structure of butterflies across 20 different and prominent ‘forest sub-types’ found across the state of Uttarakhand, western Himalaya. Data collected over eight years (2006–2009; June 2012; 2017–2020) using random seasonal sampling covering 307 transects revealed 370 butterfly taxa. Hierarchical clustering of butterfly abundances revealed seven different butterfly communities spread over 19 forest subtypes. Of these four forest sub-types (3C/C2a moist Shiwalik sal forest; 12/C2c moist temperate deciduous forest; 12/C1a ban oak forest; & 3C/C2c moist Terai sal forest) were identified as most important as they hold most of the butterfly diversity of the state including 58 rare taxa identified according to ‘rarity’ out of the total. GIS based mapping of these 58 priority species over laid on the protected area network and forest cover distribution in the state revealed many forested sites outside the PA network supporting these rare taxa. These sites along a physio-geographical gradient with important forest sub-types and rare taxa can be recommended and listed as new sites for conservation in the state.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
Funding data
References
Anonymous (2006). The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Natraj Publishers, Dehradun, 235 pp.
Arita, H.T., J.G. Robinson & K.H. Redford (1990). Rarity in Neotropical forest mammals and its ecological correlates. Conservation Biology 4(2): 181–192.
Baindur, A. (1993). The butterflies of Nanda Devi. In: Scientific and Ecological Expedition Nanda Devi, 2nd May to 22nd July 1993. (Army Corps of Engineers; W.I.I.; Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, WWF-India, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development, Botanical Survey of India) Army Headquarters, New Delhi, 35–43 pp.
Bhardwaj, M., V.P. Uniyal, A.K. Sanyal & A.P. Singh (2012). Butterfly communities along an elevation gradient in the Tons valley, Western Himalayas: Implications of rapid assessment of insect conservation. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 15(1): 207–217.
Bhardwaj, M. & V.P. Uniyal (2013). High-altitude butterfly fauna of Gangotri National Park, Uttarakhand: Patterns in species abundance, composition and similarity,pp38-48. ENVIS Bulletin on Wildlife and Protected Areas- Arthropods and their Conservation in India (Insects & Spiders), 232 pp.
Berg, A. & M. Tjernberg (1996). Common and rare Swedish vertebrates distribution and habitat preferences. Biodiversity and Conservation 5(1): 101–128.
Bingham, C.T. (1905). Fauna of British India. Butterflies Vol. I. Taylor and Francis, London, 511 pp.
Botanical Survey of India (2021). Bibliography and Abstracts of Papers on Flora of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. ENVIS, Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Botanical Survey of India, Howrah, West Bengal, 616 pp.
Brandis, D. (1906). Indian Trees : An Account of Trees, Shrubs, Woody Climbers, Bamboos, and Palms Indigenous or Commonly Cultivated in the British Indian Empire. Archibald Constable and Co., Ltd. London, 767 pp.
Brown, J.H. (1995). Macroecology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 284 pp.
Brown, K.S. (1982). Paleoecology and regional patterns of evolution in neotropical forest butterflies, pp. 255–308. In: Prance, G.T. (ed). Biological Diversification in the Tropics. Columbia University Press, New York, 714 pp.
Champion, H.G. & S.K. Seth (1968). A Revised Survey of The Forest Type of India. Govt. of India Press. New Delhi, 404 pp.
D’abrera, B. (1982). Butterflies of the Oriental Region - Part I. Papilionidae, Pieridae & Danaidae. Hill House, Victoria, Australia, 244 pp.
D’abrera, B. (1985). Butterflies of the Oriental Region - Part II. Nymphalidae, Satyridae & Amathusiidae. Hill House, Victoria, Australia, 534 pp.
D’abrera, B. (1986). Butterflies of the Oriental Region - Part III. Lycaenidae & Riodinidae. Hill House, Victoria, Australia, 672 pp.
Daniels, R.J.R., M. Hegde, N.V. Joshi & M. Gadgil (1991). Assigning conservation value: a case study from India. Conservation Biology 5(4): 464–475.
Doherty, W. (1886). A list of butterflies in Kumaun. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 55(2): 103–140.
Ehrlich, P.R. & P.H. Raven (1964). Butterflies and plants: a study in co-evolution. Evolution 18: 586–608.
Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies. 2nd Edition. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay, x+454 pp+32 pl.
Forest Survey of India (2011). Atlas-Forest Types of India. Forest Survey of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, Dehradun, 210 pp.
Gaston, K.J. (1994). Rarity. Chapman and Hall, London, 201 pp.
Gaston, K.J. & T.M. Blackburn (1995). Rarity and body size: some cautionary remarks. Conservation Biology 9(1): 210–213.
Gilbert, L.E. & M.C. Singer (1975). Butterfly Ecology. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 6(1): 365–397.
Gilbert, L.E. & J.T. Smiley (1978). Determinants of local diversity in phytophagous insects: host specialists in tropical environments, pp. 89–104. In: Mound, L.A. & N. Waloff (eds.). Diversity of Insect Faunas. Blackwell Scientific, 204 pp.
Gilbert, L.E. (1980). Food web organization and the conservation of neotropical diversity, pp. 11–34. In: Soule, M.E. & B.A. Wilcox (eds.). Conservation Biology: An Evolutionary-Ecological Perspective. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts, USA, 395 pp.
Gilbert, L.E. (1984). The biology of butterfly communities, pp 41–54. In: Vane-Wright, R.I. & P.R. Ackery (eds.). The Biology of Butterflies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 429 pp.
Gasse, P.V. (2017). Annotated checklist of Butterflies of the Indo-Burmese region. http://flutters.org/home/docs/Butterflies_of_ India_Paul_Van_Gasse.pdf
Hannyngton, F. (1910–11). The butterflies of Kumaon. Parts I & Part II. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 20 (1): 130–142; (2): 361–372; (3): 871–872.
Haribal, M. (1992). Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History. Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation, Gangtok, Sikkim, India, 217 pp.
Khanduri, K., A. Singh, D. Singh, Kursotam & P. Garg (2013). Uttarakhand Himalayas: Hydropower Developments and its Impact on Environmental System. Journal of Environment. Volume 02. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264673061.
Kehimkar, I. (2008). The Book of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, Oxford University, Delhi Press, 497 pp.
Kehimkar, I. (2016). Butterflies of India. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, 505 pp.
Kremen, C. (1992). Assessing the Indicator Properties of Species Assemblages for Natural Areas Monitoring. Ecological Applications 2(2): 203–217.
Kremen, C., R.K. Colwell, T.L. Erwin, D.D. Murphy, R.F. Noss & M.A. Sanjayan (1993). Terrestrial arthropod assemblages: Their use in conservation planning. Conservation Biology 7(4): 796–808.
Lomov, B., D.A. Keith, D.R. Britton & D.F. Hochuli (2006). Are butterflies and moths useful indicators for restoration monitoring? A pilot study in Sydney’s Cumberland Plain Woodland 7(3): 204–210. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2006.00310.x
Mackinnon, P.W. & L. DeNicéville (1899). List of butterflies of Mussoorie in the Western Himalayas and neighbouring region. Journal Bombay Natural History Society 11(1): 205–221; (2): 368–389, 585–605.
Moore, F. (1890–1897). Lepidoptera indica. Parts I-VII. Lovell Reeve Co.Ltd. London. Murphy, D.D. & B.A. Wilcox (1986). Butterfly diversity in natural habitat fragments: a test of the validity of vertebrate-based management, pp. 287–292 . In: Verner, J., M.L. Morrison & C.J. Ralph (eds.). Wildlife 2000, Modeling Habitat Relationships of Terrestrial Vertebrates. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 699 pp.
Murphy, D.D., K.E. Freas & S.B. Weiss (1990). An environment-metapopulation approach to population viability analysis for a threatened invertebrate. Conservation Biology 4(1): 41–51.
Nayar, M.P. & A.R.K. Sastry (1987, 1988, 1990). Red Data Book of Indian Plants Vols. I, II, III. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
New, T.R. (1991). Butterfly Conservation. Oxford University Press, 224 pp.
New, T.R., R.M. Pyle, J. A. Thomas, C.D. Thomas & P.C. Hammond (1995). Butterfly conservation management. Annual Review of Entomology 40 (1): 57–83.
Ollenbach, O.C. (1930). Butterfly collection grounds at Mussoorie. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 34(3): 836–840.
Pearman, P.B., M. Guerreiro, T.D. Sisk & D. Murphy (1995).Correlation patterns among groups proposed as biological indicators :what do they indicate. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 76: 375.
Pimm, S.L., L.H. Jones & J. Diamond (1988). On the risk of extintion. American Naturalist 132(6): 757–785.
Pollard, E. (1977). A method for assessing changes in the abundance of butterflies. Biological Conservation 12(2): 115–124.
Pollard, E. & T.J. Yates (1993). Monitoring Butterflies for Ecology and Conservation. Chapman and Hall, London, 287 pp.
Pyle, R.M. (1980). Butterfly eco-geography and biological conservation in Washington. Atala 8(1): 1–26.
Primack, R. (1993). Essentials of Conservation Biology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA, 585 pp.
Rabinowitz, D.S., S. Cairns & T. Dillon (1986). Seven forms of rarity and their frequency in flora of British Isles, pp. 182–204. In: Soule, M.E.(ed.). Conservation Biology: the Science of scarcity and Diversity. Sinuer, Sunderland, M.A, 584 pp.
Rabinowitz, D.S. (1981). Seven forms of rarity, pp. 205–217. In: Synge, H. (ed.). The Biological Aspects of Rare Plant Conservation. Wiley, Chichester, U.K.,558 pp.
Rai, I.D., G. Singh & G.S. Rawat (2017). Plants of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Himalaya: A Field Guide. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehadun, 393 pp.
Rodgers, W.A. & H.S Panwar (1988). Planning a Wildlife Protected Area Network in India. 2 vol. Project FO: IND/82/003, FAO, Dehradun 339, 267 pp.
Rosenberg, D.M., H.V. Danks & D.M. Lehmkuhl(1986). Importance of insects in environmental impact assessment. Environment impact assessment. Environment Management 10(6): 773–783.
Samways, M.J. (1994). Individual insect species and their conservation, pp. 169–193. In: Insect Conservation Biology. Chapman and Hall, London, 450 pp.
Shull, E.M. (1958). My highest catch of butterfly species in a single day (4th June, 1957) Mussoorie, India. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 11(4–5): 167–168.
Shull, E.M. (1962). Over one hundred butterfly species caught in a single day (3rd June, 1961) at Mussoorie, India. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 16: 143–145.
Singh, A.P. (2017). Butterflies associated with major forest types in Arunachal Pradesh (Eastern Himalaya), India: Implications for eco-tourism and in conservation planning. Journal of Threatened Taxa 9(4): 10047–10075. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2765.9.4.10047-10075
Singh, A.P. & R.S. Bhandari (2003). Butterfly diversity in tropical moist deciduous sal (Shorea robusta) forests of Dehradun valley: the lower western Himalayas. Indian Forester 129(10): 1257–1269.
Singh, A.P. & R.S. Bhandari (2006). New Additions to the Butterflies of Dehradun valley, the lower Western Himalayas. Indian Forester 132(6): 767–769.
Singh, A.P. & S. Sondhi (2016). Butterflies of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, western Himalaya, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(4): 8666–8697. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2254.8.4.8666-8697
Singh, A.P. (2016). Recent records of the Pale Jezebel Delias sanaca sanaca (Moore, 1857) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) from Mussoorie hills, western Himalaya, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(12): 9473–9478. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2834.8.12.9473–9478
Singh, A.P. & S. Seal (2019). Occurrence of Dark Sapphire Heliophorus indicus Fruhstorfer, 1908 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. Bugs R All #175, In: Zoo’s Print 34 (7): 33–34.
Singh, A.P. & T. Singh (2019). Recent records of the rare Mountain Tortoiseshell Aglais rizana (Moore, 1872) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in the upper Garhwal, western Himalaya, India, after 100 years. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(15): 15068–15071. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5276.11.15.15068-15071
Si gh, A.P. & T. Singh (2020). Occurrence and association of the Scarce Lilacfork Lethe dura gammiei (Moore, [1892]) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) with Woolly-leaved Oak Quercus lanata Smith, 1819 (Fabaceae) forest in the Kumaon region of the Indian Himalaya. Journal of Threatened Taxa 12(3): 15387–15390. https://doi.org/10.11609/jot.5467.12.3.15387-15390
Singh, A.P. & T. Singh (2021). Habitat association and hybridization in woodbrowns (Lethe nicetas, L. sidonis & L. dakwania) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) in Kedarnath Musk Deer Reserve, western Himalaya. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(3): 18045–18049. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6517.13.3.18045-18049
Singh, A.P. & T. Singh (2021). First record of White-ringed Meadowbrown, Hyponephele davendra davendra (Moore, 1865) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from inner valleys of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 118(2): 1–5. https://doi.org/10.17087/jbnhs/2021/v118/152490
Singh, A.P. & T. Singh (2022). Occurrence of Dubious Five-Ring, Ypthima parasakra Eliot in Garhwal Himalaya. Indian Journal of Entomology 84(1): 1–3.
Smetacek, P. (2002). The genus Pontia Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in the Kumaon Himalaya. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 99(2): 224–231.
Smetacek, P. (2004). Descriptions of new Lepidoptera from the Kumaon Himalaya. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 101(2): 269–276.
Smetacek, P. (2011). Four new Lycaenid records from the Kumaon Himalaya. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3(2): 1555–1558. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o2224.1555-8
Smetacek, P. (2012). A new sub-species of Mycalesis suaveolens Wood-Mason & de Niceville 1883 from the western Himalaya, India (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). Nachrichten Entomolgischen Vereins Apollo 32: 105–108.
Smetacek, P. (2012). Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea and Hesperoidea) and other protected fauna of Jones Estate, a dying watershed in the Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(9): 2857–2874. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3020.2857-74
Smith, C. (1989). Butterflies of Nepal (Central Himalaya). Tecpress Service L.P., Bangkok, 352 pp.
Smith, C. (2006). Illustrated Checklist of Nepal Butterflies. Craftman Press, Bangkok, 129 pp.
Sondhi, S. (2017). First records of butterflies Anthene emolus emolus (Godart, [1924]) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae) and Gandaca harina assamica Moore, [1906] (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Coliadinae) from Kumaon, Uttarakhand, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 9(6): 10355–10357. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3233.9.6.10355-10357
Sondhi, S. & K. Kunte (2018). Butterflies of Uttarakhand- A Field Guide. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh (Dehradun), Titli Trust (Dehradun) National Centre for Biological Sciences (Bengaluru).
Swinhoe, C. (1905–1910). Lepidoptera Indica.Part VII. Rhopalocera–Papilionidae & Lycaenidae. Lovell, Reeve & Co. Ltd, London, 286 pp +pls.551–639.
Swinhoe, C. (1910–1911). Lepidoptera Indica. Part VIII. Rhopalocera - Lycaenidae. Lovell, Reeve & Co. Ltd., London, 293 pp + pls. 640–705.
Swinhoe, C. (1911–1912). Lepidoptera Indica Part IX. Rhopalocera–Lycaenidae & Hesperiidae. Lovell, Reeve & Co. Ltd., London, 278 pp +pls. 706–756.
Swinhoe, C. (1912–1913). Lepidoptera Indica. Part X. Rhopalocera - Hesperiidae. Lovell, Reeve & Co. Ltd., London, 364 pp + pls. 757–835.
Talbot, G. (1939). The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Butterflies. 2nd edition. Vol. I . Taylor & Francis, London, 600 pp.
Talbot, G. (1947). The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Butterflies. 2nd edition. Vol. II. Taylor & Francis, London, 506 pp.
Thomas, J.A. (1983). A quick method for estimating butterfly numbers during surveys. Biological Conservation 27(3): 195–211.
Thomas, C.D. & H.C. Mallorie (1985). Rarity, species richness and conservation: butterflies of the Atlas mountains in Morocco. Biological Conservation 33(2): 95–117.
Vasudevan, K. & S. Sondhi (2010). Amphibians and Reptiles of Uttarakhand, India. Wildlife Institute of India, 53 pp.
Verma, A. & M.K. Arya (2018). A preliminary study on the status and distribution of Butterfly Fauna in and around the valley of Reetha Sahib, Champawat, Kumaun Himalaya, India. Biological Forum- An International Journal 10(1): 43–51.
Wells, S.M., M.R. Pyle & M. Collins (1983).The IUCN invertebrate Red Data Book. IUCN, Switzerland, 623 pp.
Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay, xx+523 pp+72 pls.