Neora Valley National Park Research Articles

A new species of the genus Heligmonevra Bigot, 1858 (Diptera, Asilidae) from Indian Himalaya with a revised key to its species

A new species of Heligmonevra Bigot, 1858 is described and illustrated from Neora Valley National Park, presently in Kalimpong district of West Bengal, India. The new species, Heligmonevra paruii sp. n. is differentiated from its closely related species Heligmonevra cheriani (Joseph & Parui, 1980) by a J-shaped hook-like projection of lower lobe of epandrium with a row of setae at upper border, in comparison to slightly curved epandrium at apex with row of spines at upper border in H. cheriani. With this new addition the genus Heligmonevra Bigot, 1858 is now represented by 20 species from India. An identification key to all known Indian species is also provided.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2CB66D37-999F-4954-9208-5DD179C37B5E

Lichens of Neora Valley National Park

A first assessment on the lichen biodiversity of Neora Valley National Park in the Darjeeling Himalaya has been made. The investigation reveals the occurrence of 157 species in 60 genera and 33 families. Of these 75 are crustose, 62 foliose and 20 fruticose. This includes 15 endemic taxa. Parmeliaceae shows highest generic as well as species diversity with 13 genera and 38 species. Hypotrachyna is the largest genus with 15 species. Fifteen families are represented by 1 species each and twenty nine genera by 1 species each. A key to the families, key to the genera within the families and the species within the genera are provided. All the species have been enumerated along with details of examined specimens.

On the Distribution of Some Rare Species in Neora Valley National Park, Darjeeling, West Bengal

Cardamine circaeoides Hook.f. & Thomson, Codonopsis gracilis Hook.f. & Thomson, Synotis rufinervis (DC.) C. Jeffrey & Y.L. Chen and Synotis vagans (Wall. ex DC.) C. Jeffrey & Y.L. Chen from Neora Valley National Park, Darjeeling are being reported here as new distributional record for West Bengal.

Lithographa Nyl. (Lichenized Ascomycota), A New Generic Record for India

Lithographa olivacea Fryday, a lichenized fungus is reported as new generic as well as specific record for India, based on the collections made from Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal. The species is characterized by its saxicolous habit, lirellate ascomata, and simple or submuriform hyaline ascospores. A detailed description and figures are provided to facilitate its identification.

Seasonal diversity of butterflies and their larval food plants in the surroundings of upper Neora Valley National Park, a sub-tropical broad leaved hill forest in the eastern Himalayan landscape, West Bengal, India

Seasonal butterfly diversity in the adjacent areas of the upper Neora Valley National Park, a part of the Himalayan landscape, was studied. The available larval host plant resources present within, as well as in the adjoining areas of transect were identified. A total of 4163 butterflies representing 161 species belonging to five families were recorded during this study. One-hundred-and-forty-three species of plants belonging to 44 families served as the larval food plants of butterflies. The maximum number of butterfly species and maximum number of individuals were sampled during the monsoons. The monsoons with least skewed rank abundance curve of species distribution, was also marked by maximum species diversity and maximum species evenness. This was probably due to the abundant distribution of luxurious vegetation that served as food plants for the larval stages of butterflies. Nymphalidae was the most dominant family with 43.48% of the total number of species. Autumn followed by the monsoon was associated with high species richness probably due to the abundance of vegetation that provides foliage to its larval stages.

A new species of Velia (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) from West Bengal, India.

A new Oriental species of water crickets, Velia (Cesavelia) mitrai sp. nov. is described from the vicinity of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. It was collected from a shaded stream with slow current, situated at an altitude of 2006 m a.s.l. within the Neora Valley National Park. This species is the fourth member of this genus known from India.

Butterfly diversity and abundance with reference to habitat heterogeneity in and around Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal, India

Butterfly diversity in and around Neora Valley National Park (NVNP), West Bengal, India was studied from three different habitat types that included thick vegetation assemblage with closed canopy cover, edges of forest and areas of human intervention during April – May 2010. A total of 30 butterfly species belonging to the families of Hespeririidae (3.33%), Papilionidae (16.65%), Pieriidae (13.32%), Nymphalidae (53.28%) and Lycaenidae (13.32%) were identified in the present investigation. Highest butterfly diversity and abundance was recorded from areas of forest edges (54.83% of individuals represented by 16 different species), while dense forest (30.64 % of individuals represented by 11 different species) and areas with human habitats (14.52 % of individuals represented by 8 different species) showed lower butterfly diversity and abundance. Accordingly highest Shannon Weiner diversity score of 2.32 was recorded from areas of forest edges. The butterflies that showed high occurrences were Indian Tortoise Shell (Aglais cashmiriensis), Yellow Coster (Acraea issoria) and Himalayan Five Ring (Ypthima sakra). Only 1 butterfly species, Yellow Coster (A. issoria) was found to co-occur in all the three sites. Accelerating human civilizations has lead to destruction of much of the global natural habitats while it has often been found to exert adverse effects on biodiversity. Findings made during this study also indicate negative influence of anthropogenic intervention on overall butterfly diversity from the present location.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v10i1.7751

Caloplaca gyrophorica (lichenized Ascomycota), a new saxicolous lichen species from India

A gyrophoric acid-containing Caloplaca species is reported from India for the first time. Caloplaca gyrophorica was found growing over rocks in temperate regions of Neora Valley National Park, Darjeeling, India. It is compared with the other three known gyrophoric acid-containing Caloplaca species and with the morphologically similar C. hueana.

Mammals of Kalimpong Hills, Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India

Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) in the Kalimpong Hills, Darjeeling District, having a wide range of altitudinal variations (183-3,200 m) and climatic conditions and forming an ecological trijunction with Sikkim and Bhutan, is the last virgin wilderness in West Bengal. It is a global hotspot for the unique ecosystem, where tropical, sub-tropical, temperate and sub-temperate forests represent a wealth of biodiversity including many threatened and rare mammals. It is the prime habitat of Ailurus fulgens (estimated population 28-32), Neofelis nebulosa (population unassessed), Ursus thibetanus (18), Bos gaurus (81), Hemitragus jemlahicus (32), Naemorhedus goral (73), Capricornis sumatraensis (89), Rusa unicolor (286), Muntiacus vaginalis (590) and Sus scrofa (615). Discovery of Panthera tigris (20) in 1998 prompted the forest department to include NVNP as a sensitive wildlife zone. Many authors recorded the mammalian diversity in Darjeeling District since the mid-nineteenth century, but most of them referred to the Darjeeling Hills. The documentations on Kalimpong Hills are scarce because of the dense canopy, thick undergrowth and inaccessible terrain, particularly in the pristine forests of Neora Valley. Consequently, a comprehensive compendium of the mammals in this region was not prepared. A study was undertaken in 2008-2009 with a view to bridging this knowledge-gap and presenting an updated account of the mammalian species in this new short-listed World Heritage Site and surrounding forests of the Kalimpong Hills based on literature review, questionnaire survey, direct sighting and indirect evidences. During June-October 1916, N.A. Baptista recorded 29 mammalian species (22 genera) out of 563 specimens collected, from the region. The present study registered 99 species (68 genera) after 94 years.

Comparison of avifaunal diversity in and around Neora Valley National Park, West Bengal, India

Anthropogenic intervention has led to conversion of much of the global diversity by means of habitat alterations. The present study was carried out to investigate the importance of habitat quality and habitat heterogeneity for the diversity, distribution and abundance of avifauna in and around Neora Valley National Park (NVNP) during April-May 2010. A total of 73 bird species belonging to 25 families were recorded during the present study applying a modified point count method. Forest edges were found to be most diverse with a total count of 54 bird species having an abundance of 172.53 number of birds ha-1. Study areas with human settlements was represented by a total species count of 24 with an abundance of 130.39 number of birds ha-1 while a total species count of 22 with an abundance of 69.32 number of birds ha-1 was recorded from thick vegetation assemblage with close canopy cover. This site specific occurrence pattern for avifauna was reflected in the study of diversity indices. The highest Shannon-Wiener general diversity score of 3.77 was recorded for bird species from forest edges. Study areas with dense canopy closure were found to support more habitat specialist bird species while areas having human settlements harboured more opportunistic bird species. An overall negative influence of human settlements on bird diversity, distribution and abundance was evidenced from the present study and needs further investigation. Moreover, intensive studies will certainly enrich our knowledge of avian diversity and distribution pattern from the present study location.

Past and present status of the Indian Tiger in northern West Bengal, India: an over

Changes in the distribution range and the estimates of Tiger (Panthera tigris) populations in northern West Bengal from the late 19th century to 2009 were examined in detail. According to a 2004 census there were 70 tigers in the region, while a 2008 estimate put the number at 8-12. The tiger survives only in protected areas of terai and duars extending over about 1000km2 of Buxa, Jaldapara, Neora Valley and Mahananda, the Panighat and Bamanpokhri Ranges of Kurseong Division and the Chilapata and Kodalbusty Ranges under Wildlife-III Division. Tigers became extinct in Chapramari Sanctuary about a decade back; Gorumara sightings were recorded up to the 1980s. The species has already lost about 1000km2 of its historic range in the territorial forest divisions of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Dinajpur and Malda Districts. The State Forest Department has undertaken efforts involving regular monitoring, protection measures and habitat improvements and tigers are now being sighted in areas where they were absent for years. Resident tigers appear to be expanding their ranges to new areas, sometimes at higher altitudes as in Neora Valley National Park and Buxa Tiger Reserve crossing into Bhutan and Sikkim.

Richness of mammalian species in the higher elevations of Neora Valley National Park

Richness of mammalian species in the higher elevations of Neora Valley National Park