Abstract
In Central America, natural forests have been transformed into agriculture production areas, generating forest fragmentation, desertification, erosion and loss of biodiversity, among other concerns. Different tree cover compositions are kept on these agricultural landscapes, including scattered trees in pastures, live fences, fragments of secondary forests, and riparian forests. These can help in biodiversity conservation because they generate shelter, feeding and reproduction areas, among others. We studied the composition, richness and abundance of diurnal butterflies on two types of live fences in a landscape where pastures are predominant in Costa Rica's Central Pacific Region. Transects (120 x 5 m) were observed for an hour (two days/habitat) in five multi-strata fences (with several plant species, strata and canopy width) and five simple fences (with smaller and pruned trees). A total of 2,782 butterflies were observed (75 species). The most abundant species were Anartia fatima, Eurema daria, Eurema nise, Hermeuptychia hermes, Junonia evarete and Phoebis philea. Multi-strata fences had more species and can help maintain 56% of the total species observed in secondary and riparian forests. This type of live fence can play an important role in butterfly conservation in livestock areas, and its benefits are influenced by the manner in which farmers manage their land.
Highlights
La fragmentación es el proceso de la destrucción parcial de un hábitat natural que da como resultado la producción de fragmentos de bosque de diferentes tamaño, forma y grado de aislamiento (Murcia 1995) e interrupción de la conectividad (Bennet 1999)
We studied the composition, richness and abundance of diurnal butterflies on two types of live fences in a landscape where pastures are predominant in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Region
1867 Siproeta epaphus Latreille, 1819 Siproeta stelenes Linnaeus, 1758 Smyrna blomfilda datis Fruhstofer, 1908 Thessalia theona Ménétriés, 1855 No de individuos totales No de especies
Summary
Área de estudio: Se encuentra localizada entre los Distritos de Montes de Oro, Esparza, Puntarenas, provincia de Puntarenas y San Ramón, Alajuela (09°58’60” N y 84°40’00” W), perteneciente al la región Pacífica Central de Costa Rica. Las capturas de las especies de mariposas se efectuaron mediante una red entomológica, y se registró los siguientes datos: número de individuos, número del transecto, tipo de cerca viva, altitud, actividad (percha, cópula, alimentación, entre otras) y la hora. Las cercas multiestrato presentaron una mayor abundancia, riqueza, diversidad, dap, altura total, que las cercas vivas simples, pero no hubo diferencias en el diámetro de la copa (Cuadro 1). Estas son CUADRO 1 Comparación de medias del número de especies, abundancia, diversidad de Shannon, diámetro a la altura del pecho (dap), altura total y diámetro de copa, entre las cercas vivas simples (CVS) y cercas vivas multiestrato (CVM) en Esparza, Costa Rica, 2006. CUADRO 3 Comparación del número promedio de la abundancia, la riqueza y diversidad de mariposas registradas entre las cercas vivas simples (CVS) y cercas vivas multiestrato (CVM) en Esparza, Costa Rica, 2005-2006
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