Abstract
A three year study (from December 2011 to December 2014 and in June 2015) on butterflies covering four major forest sub-types as classified by H.G. Champion & S.K. Seth in 1968 in ‘Forest Types of India’, which occupy 60% of the forest area lying below 2,500m across Arunachal Pradesh State in the eastern Himalaya of India, revealed 415 taxa belonging to six families (Hesperiidae: 74 species of 42 genera; Papilionidae: 37 species of 10 genera; Pieridae: 36 species of 15 genera; Lycaenidae: 85 species of 49 genera; Riodinidae: 7 species of 3 genera & Nymphalidae: 176 species of 71 genera, respectively). These included many endemic and rare species typical of these forest sub-types, i.e., (i) 2B/1S1 Sub-Himalayan Light Alluvial Semi-Evergreen Forest (32 species), (ii) 2B/ C1(a) Assam Alluvial Plains Semi-Evergreen Forests (5 species), (iii) 2B/2S2 Eastern Alluvial Secondary Semi-Evergreen Forests- (15 species) and (iv) 3/1S2 (b) Terminalia-Duabanga (3 species), respectively. The relative number of species and individuals sampled were the highest at altitudes below 500m, and gradually declined as the altitude increased to 2,000m, and above 2,500m species richness declined sharply. The number of species and their relative abundance were the highest during July–August (Monsoon-first peak) and then again in November-December (Autumn-second peak), while the numbers were lowest during winter. These findings suggest that these four forest types are important both for the purpose of ecotourism as well as conservation of endemic and rare taxa found in the eastern Himalaya and northeastern India at altitudes below 2,000m. A complete list of all the taxa sampled is given along with relative abundance status during sampling, Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 status, and distribution in different forest types in the state. Ten potential butterfly ecotourism zones are suggested for the state. Planning land-use for biodiversity conservation based on butterfly-forest type associations, by taking forest sub-types as units of conservation, is suggested as an option for the eastern Himalaya.
Highlights
Foresfst,tfoffllowedby2B/C1(a)AssamAfflluvfaiflPfalfinsSemf-i tfoffllowed by 2B/C1(a) Assam Afflluvfaifl Pfalfins Semf-i
Noftes Theseasonafloccurrenceotfthe WhafleSharkRhfincodon fytpus(Smffith,1828)(Orecftoflobftiformes:Rhfincodonfidae) aflongftheOdfsihacoasf,tIndfai --ShesdevPafrto,BfriajaKumarSahu,ChandanfalflParfida, Madhusmffiat Dash&K.C.Sahu,Pp.10125–10129 AnewrecordotfGunfther’s WaspfsihSnyderfinaguenftherfi (Bouflenger,1889)(Scorpaenftiformes:Tefrtarogfidae)trfom Vfsiakhapaftnam,Indfai --Muddufal KrfsihnaNaranjfi&SujafthaKandufal,Pp.10130– 10132 FfrisftrecordotfNeojurfinafytpfciatrfomIndfai(Hemfipftera: Hefteropftera:Penfatftomfidae) --S.Safflinf,iPp.10133–10137 Xenomerusorfeinftafflsi Wafkler(Hymenopftera: Pfalfytgasfrtfidae):anewdfsifrtfibufionrecordtforIndfai --Kaflmesh Managanvf,i A.K.Karnafatk& M.A.Khan, Pp. 10138–10140
Summary
TheJournaflotfThreafetnedTaxafsi dedfciafetdftobuffildfingevfidencetforconservafiongflobafflyl bypubfflsihfingpeer-revfei wed arfcifelsonfflineeverymonfthaftareasonabfylrapfidrafet aftwww.fthreafetnedfatxa.org.AffllarfcifelspubfflsihedfinJoTTare regfsifetredunderCreafvieCommonsAfrtfibufion4.0InfetrnafionaflLfciense unfelssoftherwfsie menfioned.JoTTaffllows unresfrtfcifetduseotfarfcifelsfinanymedfium,reproducfion,anddfsifrtfibufionbyprovfidfingadequafet credffitftoftheaufthors andfthesourceotfpubfflciafion. Absfrtacf:t Afthreeyearsftudy(trfomDecember2011ftoDecember2014andfinJune2015)onbufetrffleiscoverfingtfourmajortforesftsubfytpesascfalssfifeidbyH.G.Champfion&S.K.Sefthfin1968fin‘ForesftTypesotIfndfai’,whfcihoccupy60%otfthetforesftareafylfingbeflow2,500m acrossArunachaflPradeshSfatfetfinftheeasfetrnHfimafalyaotIfndfai,reveafeld415fatxabeflongfingftosfxitaf mfffileis(Hesperffiidae:74specfeisotf 42genera;Papfffilionfidae:37specfeisotf10genera;Pfeirfidae:36specfeisotf15genera;Lycaenfidae:85specfeisotf49genera;Rfiodfinfidae: 7specfeisotf3genera&Nymphafflidae:176specfeisotf71genera,respecfviefyl).Thesefincfludedmanyendemfci andrarespecfeisfytpfciafl otffthesetforesftsub-fytpes,f.ie.,(f)i 2B/1S1Sub-HfimafalyanLfgihftAfflluvfaiflSemf-iEvergreenForesft(32specfeis),(ffi)i 2B/C1(a)AssamAfflluvfaifl PfalfinsSemf-iEvergreenForesfst(5specfeis),(fffii)i2B/2S2EasfetrnAfflluvfaiflSecondarySemf-iEvergreenForesfst-(15specfeis)and(fvi)3/1S2(b) Termfinafflai-Duabanga(3specfeis),respecfviefyl. The numberotfspecfeisandfthefrirefalfvieabundancewerefthehfgihesftdurfingJufyl–Augusft(Monsoon-frisftpeak)andfthenagafinfinNovemberDecember(Auftumn-secondpeak),whffiel fthenumberswereflowesftdurfingwfinfetr.Thesefindfingssuggesftfthaftfthesetfourtforesftfytpes arefimporfatnftbofthtforfthepurposeotfecoftourfsi masweffllasconservafionotfendemfci andrarefatxatfoundfinftheeasfetrnHfimafalyaand norftheasfetrnIndfai aftaflffitudesbeflow2,000m.Acompfelfetfflsiftotfaffllfthefatxasampfeldfsigfvienaflongwffithrefalfvieabundancesfatftusdurfing sampffling,Indfain Wffildffltief (Profetcfion)Acf,t1972sfatftus,anddfsifrtfibufionfindfitefrenfttforesftfytpesfinfthesfatfet. Acknowfledgemenfst:ThepresenftsftudywasparftotfaprojecftbefingcarrfeidouftbyftheaufthoraftftheRafinForesftResearchInsffitufet (RFRI),Jorhaf,t Assamdurfing 2011-2015.IamfthanktfuflftoftheDfriecftorGeneraf,lICFREandDfriecftor,RFRItforprovfidfingfthenecessarytafcfffilifeis&tfundsftocarryouftftheprojecf(tEcoflogfciaflsftudfeis onmonffitorfingfthedfsifrtfibufionpafetrnsandtfoodpfalnftresourcesotfbufetrffleisaflongaflffitudfinaflgradfeinfstfindfitefrenftforesftecosysfet msotftheeasfetrnHfimafalya (ArunachaflPradesh)RFRI-36/2020-11/EB).IamfthanktfuflftoDhrubaJ.Das,Geo-fintformafcisfalboraftory,RFRI,tforhfsi heflpfindrawfingftheGISmapsotfArunachafl PradeshandftoRamanNaufyiaf,lSfatfsifcifain,ICFRE,Dehraduntforanafylsfsi otfdafat.Theetforfst pufftinbyAbhfjfifit Medhf,iJfsi Sebasfain,LfinaGogof,iSfrijffiat Gangufyl andRfyiazAhmed,durfingfeifldsurveys,dafat compffialfion&enfrtytrfomfimeftofime,arehfgihfyl apprecfaifetd.Iwoufldafslofflkieftofthank MonsoonJyofiGogof,i SanjaySondhf,iKrushnameghKunfet andPauflVanGasse,tforfthefriheflpfinfidenfifciafionotfbufetrffleis.Iwoufldafslofflkieftoacknowfeldgeftheheflprecefviedtrfomfthe ArunachaflPradeshDfsifrtfciftAdmfinfsifrtafion,ForesftDeparftmenf,tandflocaflpeopfel durfingfthefeifldsurveys
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