Effectiveness of organic terrace rice cultivation in conservation of odonates in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India

Dewan, Sailendra; Darnal, Nikesh; Acharya, Bhoj Kumar; Subramanian, K. A.; Chettri, Basundhara; Jins, V. J.

doi:10.1080/13887890.2019.1700175

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 49 publications

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“…The low-elevation landscape is mostly dominated by agricultural lands, industry, dams, towns, and road networks. Apart from natural forests, the traditional agroecosystem has been shown to be important for the conservation of butterflies and odonates (Dewan et al 2019b, Sharma et al 2020. Hence, specific policies are required to safeguard these lowland landscapes (including traditional agroecosystems), which are vital for the conservation of butterflies in the long run.…”

Section: Conclusion and Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do sub-groups of butterflies display different elevational distribution patterns in the Eastern Himalaya, India?

Dewan¹,

Acharya²,

Vetaas³

et al. 2021

Frontiers of Biogeography

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Understanding the pattern of biodiversity along environmental gradients helps in identifying diversity hotspot areas that can be prioritized for conservation. While the elevational distribution of several taxa has been studied, responses of the subgroups within a taxon to elevation and its associated factors are not properly understood. Here we study species richness and butterfly density along an elevation gradient in Sikkim, Eastern Himalaya, India and explore the underlying causes of the patterns. We sampled butterflies using a fixed-width point count method in 16 elevational bands (150-200 m intervals), between a range of 300 and 3300 m a.s.l. We categorized butterflies into various subgroups based on family, range size, biogeographic affinity, and host-plant specialization. We recorded 3603 individuals and 253 species of butterflies after the completion of 1860 point counts. Overall, species richness in the majority of the subgroups (except for Riodinidae and Palearctic species) declines with elevation, as does the density of almost all the subgroups. From a selection of environmental factors, annual actual evapotranspiration has the strongest effect on the species richness pattern of butterflies as well as on the density of the overall butterfly community, especially the Lycaenidae family. The richness and density of butterfly groups display varied responses to the richness and density of trees and shrubs. The conducive climatic conditions and diverse habitats in the lower valleys of the Eastern Himalaya support a high diversity of butterflies (with majority of small range species) and thus warrants conservation attention. Highlights • The distribution of biodiversity along mountain elevational gradients has been well studied, but the disparity in patterns between various organisms and associated factors makes it difficult to develop a universal model for explaining the variation of biodiversity. • We report elevational patterns of species richness and density of butterflies in the Eastern Himalaya, both at whole group and subgroup levels. • A general decline in species richness and density with elevation is not supported for Riodinidae and for Palearctic species. • A measure of water energy balance, annual actual evapotranspiration, is the best correlated variable with species richness trends in butterflies. • Our paper highlights the importance of low elevation forests for butterfly diversity in the Eastern Himalaya.

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Section: Conclusion and Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%