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Assessing the Indicator Properties of Species Assemblages for Natural Areas Monitoring
Ecological Applications
Abstract
Presents a simple protocol based on ordination techniques for establishing the indicator properties of a group of organisms and for selecting an indicator species subset for more intensive monitoring. The indicator properties of a butterfly taxocene in a rain forest in Madagascar were established. Butterflies have been suggested as particularly good environmental indicators due to their sensitivity to micro-climate and light level changes, and their interactions as larvae and adults with different sets of host plants. The indicator properties of butterfly assemblages were evaluated with respect to a known pattern of environmental heterogeneity along topographic/moisture and disturbance gradients. Butterfly assemblages were excellent indicators of heterogeneity due to the topographic moisture gradient, limited indicators of heterogeneity due to anthropogenic disturbance, and poor indicators of plant diversity. -from Author
... Ecological application of the 'rarity' concept includes designating some species as more important than others, particularly those at greater risk of extinction or extirpation (Flather and Seig, 2007). Land managers identify habitats of conservation concern and achieve conservation objectives with limited available resources by weighting the inherent value of each species to identify those that potentially require greater conservation intervention (Capmourteres and Anand, 2016;Marris, 2007;Kremen, 1992). Diverse arthropod taxa, including insect pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and beetles, are in the conservation limelight following reports of declines in their global populations and pollination services in response to anthropogenic changes (Wagner et al., 2021;Eisenhauer et al., 2019;Seibold et al., 2019;Koh et al., 2016;Vanbergen et al., 2013;Winfree et al., 2011;Kremen, 1992). ...
... Land managers identify habitats of conservation concern and achieve conservation objectives with limited available resources by weighting the inherent value of each species to identify those that potentially require greater conservation intervention (Capmourteres and Anand, 2016;Marris, 2007;Kremen, 1992). Diverse arthropod taxa, including insect pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and beetles, are in the conservation limelight following reports of declines in their global populations and pollination services in response to anthropogenic changes (Wagner et al., 2021;Eisenhauer et al., 2019;Seibold et al., 2019;Koh et al., 2016;Vanbergen et al., 2013;Winfree et al., 2011;Kremen, 1992). The importance of accurately assigning rarity ranks to bee species is consequently essential to bee and pollinator conservation. ...
Methods used to assign rarity among species are fundamental to our ecological understanding and conservation of species that are most vulnerable to extinction or extirpation. Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) are at the forefront of declines in pollinator diversity and a comprehensive understanding of their conservation requirements in any landscape is essential. Rarity is generally defined in terms of numerical abundance and geographical distribution, though aspects of species life history, such as degree of specialization and taxonomic relatedness, are also widely recognized as important. Incomplete information on the life histories of many taxa obliges ecologists to rely on species-level classifications of specialization provided by expert opinion or in published site- or region-specific studies. Descriptions of specialization are therefore rooted in characterization of the habitat and introduce subjectivity into rarity calculations through assumptions of how species perceive and use resources. An alternative approach that may reduce this level of subjectivity is to incorporate important life-history elements into species rarity assessments, which are traits of the organism itself and not its environment. Phylogenetic and functional originality are metrics which have been presented as useful for characterizing the uniqueness of species, and thus for developing a more informed index of species rarity. This study describes our Species Originality and Rarity Index (SpORtI) for bees that includes variables reflecting five rarity and originality metrics for each species: numeric rarity, geographic rarity, phenological rarity, phylogenetic originality, and functional originality. We compared species-specific rarity weights generated with this approach against other indices using a bee dataset collected over three years across the 520,000-km² land area of the Great Lakes Basin and within the United States and found that rankings using our approach differed significantly from other indices. Our index represents an improvement on previous approaches since it incorporates key information identified by other researchers and avoids potential subjectivity associated with assigning habitat specialization. Importantly, SpORtI has the added advantage to incorporate updated species life-history traits reported in the literature to allow for the most comprehensive and timely rarity index. This new index will aid researchers and practitioners in determining what species to focus conservation efforts on, as well as which management treatments and environmental factors affect our most vulnerable species of bees, or other taxa, so that limited resources can be applied to focal areas of conservation concern more effectively and efficiently.
... Los lepidópteros en Perú son continuamente amenazados debido a que la mayoría de los ecosistemas actuales están sujetos a una o más formas de perturbación antropogénica, especialmente contaminación y acidificación, modificación y fragmentación del hábitat e invasiones de especies introducidas (Cerdeña et al., 2014;Levi et al., 2017). Dada la escala espacial generalizada y temporal rápida de los cambios ambientales antropogénicos actuales, se necesitan métodos para elegir especies o conjuntos de especies apropiados para establecer prioridades de conservación y monitorear las respuestas bióticas al cambio ambiental local y global; donde son amenazados los hábitats de los lepidópteros y la diversidad se puede minimizar llevando a cabo una gestión de la conservación diseñada después de seguimiento de la diversidad, abundancia y distribución (Guzman & Vásquez, 2018;Kremen, 1992;Sajjad et al., 2020). Además, la condición del hábitat y la ecología de los lepidópteros también son factores importantes que se deben conocer antes de los esfuerzos de conservación (Kremen, 1992;Moraes et al., 2021). ...
... Dada la escala espacial generalizada y temporal rápida de los cambios ambientales antropogénicos actuales, se necesitan métodos para elegir especies o conjuntos de especies apropiados para establecer prioridades de conservación y monitorear las respuestas bióticas al cambio ambiental local y global; donde son amenazados los hábitats de los lepidópteros y la diversidad se puede minimizar llevando a cabo una gestión de la conservación diseñada después de seguimiento de la diversidad, abundancia y distribución (Guzman & Vásquez, 2018;Kremen, 1992;Sajjad et al., 2020). Además, la condición del hábitat y la ecología de los lepidópteros también son factores importantes que se deben conocer antes de los esfuerzos de conservación (Kremen, 1992;Moraes et al., 2021). La diversidad de los lepidópteros puede incrementarse aumentando la variabilidad y disponibilidad de plantas de néctar y plantas forrajeras para larvas (Palacios-Mayoral et al., 2018;Valencia-Montoya et al., 2021). ...
Determination of the abundance and diversity of Lepidoptera in the Andean Community of San Benito, Cajamarca, Peru. Several samplings were carried out, using the 500 linear m transect technique, with a monthly frequency throughout 2021, in the riparian areas and surrounding vegetation. The material was dissected and studied in the entomology laboratory of the National University of Trujillo. The analyzes of abundance and diversity of the Lepidoptera species were carried out. 206 individuals were registered, corresponding to 7 families, 9 subfamilies, 6 belonging tribes and 20 species. It is also reported that the families with the highest number of species are the Nymphalidae with 9 species and Pieridae with 5 species. it was determined that the Simpson index (0.94) represents a high diversity of species, the Shannon-Wiener index (2.81) represents a medium diversity of species and the Margalef index (5.06) represents a high diversity of lepidoptera species. The most abundant species are the representatives of the Nymphalidae family. The diversity indices represent a high, medium and high diversity of Lepidoptera species.
... Algunos trabajos han mostrado un efecto positivo entre la riqueza de especies vegetales en floración y la riqueza de especies diurnas (Moyers Arévalo y Cano-Santana, 2008;Kitahara et al., 2008), el jardín botánico regional presentó diversas especies vegetales que durante los meses de colecta se encontraban en floración, aspecto relevante dado los requerimientos energéticos de las mariposas adultas, además de la polinización(Proctor et al., 1996).Es probable que este factor haya influido en la presencia de diversas especies de mariposas, algunas de ellas exclusivas de este sitio. Empero, los registros podrían cambiar si se aumentara el tiempo de muestreo, ya que de acuerdo con los estimadores hubo especies sin registrar en los tres sitios de trabajo.No obstante, los índices indican que el acahual presentó mayor diversidad que el jardín botánico regional y el pastizal, el acahual es una zona en recuperación de la vegetación original en la zona de estudio, el valor de conservación de la diversidad de mariposas que puede albergar este remanente es sin duda muy importante, la diversidad de especies puede estar relacionada con la diversidad vegetal en una comunidad local(Kremen, 1992). Sería interesante evaluar las plantas hospederas potenciales que se podrían albergar en dicho sitio, ya que se encontraron especies exclusivas y compartidas con el jardín botánico regional o entre los tres sitios de muestreo, pero ninguna especie compartida entre el acahual y el pastizal. ...
Los sistemas ecológicos aportan bienes y servicios fundamentales para el funcionamiento de la vida y contribuyen significativamente al bienestar humano. En México, al ser un país megadiverso, existe la necesidad de documentar la riqueza en cada uno de sus territorios. La Sierra de Otontepec es una formación montañosa aislada de la Sierra Madre Oriental que en 2005 se decretó como Área Natural Protegida bajo la categoría de Reserva Ecológica. La presente obra aborda el patrimonio natural de este sitio desde diferentes perspectivas y escalas, como factores hidrometeorológicos, de diversidad vegetal y mamíferos, cambios espacio-temporales de la cobertura, a nivel de grupos biológicos, como orquídeas, cícadas, murciélagos y mariposas, además de perspectivas socioecológicas como la importancia cultural y uso del venado. Se ponen en perspectiva los logros y los retos para el mantenimiento de su capital natural y se abre una ventana para desarrollar estudios multidisciplinarios y trazar su hoja de ruta hacia la sostenibilidad.
... Bird diversity is a strong bio-indicator for ecosystem health and for overall biodiversity (Pakkala et al. 2014) and is also a reliable indicator of the quality, productivity and stability of the habitat (Vallecillo et al. 2016) since birds are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions (Bibi and Ali, 2013). Therefore, bird diversity is widely regarded as a crucial instrument for planning, monitoring, and identifying conservation actions related to biodiversity conservation (Kremen 1992, Bregman et al. 2014. They have occupied diverse habitat and foraging strategies (Naish 2014 223 species of birds in the whole world are on the verge of extinction (BirdLife International 2023) due to natural as well as anthropogenic threats (Sarkar et al. 2009, BirdLife International 2023. ...
Urban Forestry is an integral component of sustainable urban
development, involving strategic administration of trees and green areas
within urban environments. In this dynamic domain, institutional
engagement is closely connected with local governments, submetropolitan
offices, and division forest offices playing crucial roles in
shaping policies and regulations. The significance of public perception
in urban forestry practices cannot be overstated, as it shapes community
involvement and endorsement for initiatives focused on improving
environmental quality and urban well-being. The research aims to look
into the public perception and institutional involvement in the
development of urban forestry in Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City,
Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal. It seeks to assess the awareness levels
of the residents regarding urban forestry initiatives and understand their
perceived benefits and concerns. Simultaneously, the study will analyze
the specific roles played by key institutions, including sub-metropolitan
offices and division forest offices, in shaping urban forestry within the
region. This paper is based on a household survey (n=210) and key
informant interviews (n=7) representing the different institutions related
to urban forestry. Roadside plantations, park and avenue plantations, as
well as community forest management, were the major activities under
urban forestry. Regarding the people’s perception, the majority of the
respondents (80%) were found to be aware of the advantages associated
with urban forestry however only 35% of people were found engaged in
urban forestry activities. Over the past few years, the local government
has advocated for urban greenery. Despite these efforts, there is a lack
of corresponding legislation or regulations specifically addressing urban
forestry. Consequently, the effective management of city forestry
demands concrete scientific and professional expertise.
... Bird diversity is a strong bio-indicator for ecosystem health and for overall biodiversity (Pakkala et al. 2014) and is also a reliable indicator of the quality, productivity and stability of the habitat (Vallecillo et al. 2016) since birds are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions (Bibi and Ali, 2013). Therefore, bird diversity is widely regarded as a crucial instrument for planning, monitoring, and identifying conservation actions related to biodiversity conservation (Kremen 1992, Bregman et al. 2014. They have occupied diverse habitat and foraging strategies (Naish 2014 223 species of birds in the whole world are on the verge of extinction (BirdLife International 2023) due to natural as well as anthropogenic threats (Sarkar et al. 2009, BirdLife International 2023. ...
The Government of Nepal has focused on ecotourism activities within
community forests; but not all community forests are equally potential
for ecotourism. This paper mainly focuses on available facilities and
services regarding ecotourism development; and tries to analyse local
people’s perception of ecotourism promotion as well as visitor’s
satisfaction in the Betana Simsar Community Forest of Morang district
in Koshi province, eastern Nepal to explore the potentiality of
ecotourism. This research was based mainly on household survey
(n=53), visitor’s interviews (n=96), key informant survey (n=10) and
observation of available infrastructure related to ecotourism
development. The study revealed that rich biodiversity and natural
scenery of the wetland have attracted more than four million visitors
annually. The income received from the tourism has not only supported
management of the community forest but also provided employment to
eight local people and supported local livelihoods. Two third of the
visitors were found satisfied with the available facilities and natural
beauty of the area. These facts show the opportunities for ecotourism
development in Betana Simsar community forest; however, lack of
institutional collaboration among different agencies has been identified
major limitation for converting this potentiality into the reality.
... This study is a contribution to updating the ornithological database of the area, and at the same time makes it possible to assess the impact of habitat types on the specific richness, diversity and distribution of birds. Understanding the diversity and distributions of species of birds and other organisms is important in terms of understanding adaptability, survival and extinction rates of species and providing knowledge that can be used to protect particular species of birds, and other components of biodiversity that are correlated with them [19]. However, there are many challenges to extrapolating diversity patterns based on field studies to large spatial scales [20]. ...
... (Kremen, 1992;Caldas & Robert, 2003;Kumar et al, 2009Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H′) (马克平, 1994; 马克平和刘玉明, 1994):ln , / i i i i H P P P N N (1)Pielou均匀度指数(J) (Whittaker, 1972):x m a x ma / , ln J H H H S (2)Margalef丰富度指数(R) (Margalef, 1958):( 1)/ln R S N (3)Simpson指数(D) (Pielou, 1975):2 1 i D P (4)Berger-Parker优势度指数(W) (马克平和刘玉明, 1994): / i W N N (5) 式中, N i 为第i种的个体数量, N表示全部个体总数, S 为物种数, P i 为第i种个体数的比例。 定义W ≥ 25%为 极优势物种; 5%-25% (不包含25%)之间为优势物 种 ; 0.5%-5% ( 包 含 0.5%) 之 间 为 常 见 物 种 ; 0.1%-0.5%为稀有物种; 小于0.1%为极稀有物种 (Caruso et al, 2007)。 采用SPSS 22.0对不同季节和不同生境下蝴蝶 群 落 组 成 、 多 样 性 指 数 进 行 单 因 素 方 差 分 析 (one-way ANOVA), 采用最小显著性差异法(least significance difference, LSD)检验差异显著性, 观察 在5%水平上是否具有统计学显著性, 使用Origin 1 研究区域和研究方法 22.0绘图。包(Wickham, 2009)对不同生境和季节间的蝶类群 落 进 行 非 加 权 组 平 均 法 (unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means, UPGMA)聚类, 并绘 制聚类图和条形图。 1.4 蝴蝶群落多样性与环境因子相关性分析 使用R 4.1.2软件的mgcv程序包(Wood, ...
Aims: The present work aims to analyze the environmental drivers of diversity in the butterfly community in the western Qinling Mountains.
Methods: In the autumn of 2020 and spring and summer of 2021, we investigated butterfly diversity in the western region of Qinling Mountains using line transects across multiple habitat types in 15 sampling areas. We used trend and extrapolation analyses for estimating α diversity, and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and cluster analyses for β diversity. For determining drivers of butterfly diversity, we fit environmental factors to diversity indices using a generalized additive model (GAM).
Results: We observed a total of 8,898 individuals representing 169 species, 84 genera, and 5 families. Of these families, the highest number of individuals were from Pieridae (N = 3,671), and the most number of species were from Nymphalidae (N = 80). We found that α diversity was highest during the summer and in coniferous and broad-leaved forests. For β diversity, we found the highest degree of similarity between coniferous and broad-leaved forest and deciduous broad-leaved forest, the low similarity between seasons, and that species are concentrated in spring and summer but relatively dispersed in autumn. The GAM fitted curves demonstrated several key relationships between environmental factors and butterfly diversity, including: (1) plant heterogeneity was correlated with butterfly community diversity; (2) an ambient temperature between 24℃ and 30℃ underlined a higher Pielou evenness index and a more stable butterfly community structure; and (3) humidity between 70% and 85% was associated with a higher Simpson index.
Conclusion: Butterfly community composition and diversity in the western region of Qinling Mountains were closely related to habitat type and have a distinct chronological relationship with seasons. Plant cover, abundance, humidity, and temperature are important factors in maintaining the diversity of butterfly species on a regional scale.
... From the CCA, we identified plant species associated with urbanisation (Kremen 1992). Amongst which, invasive alien species, such as Ligustrum lucidum, Koelreuteria elegans, Tridax coronopifolia, Eragrostis barrelieri and Melinis repens, were found in the more urbanised sites. ...
Green areas are important places for biodiversity conservation within cities, but their vegetation is affected by various anthropogenic factors. This study used an exploratory approach to examine the influence of urbanisation and air pollution-related factors on the indicators for the composition and structure of vegetation in an urban area in northeast Mexico. Based on the spatial analysis of the major air pollutants, four sampling categories were delimited (rural, low, moderate and high urbanisation). The differences between categories, based on vegetation structure, were determined using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis tests. The Importance Value was calculated for the species. The floristic similarity was compared using NMDS and PERMANOVA unidirectional. The relationship between environmental variables and abundance of species was evaluated using CCA. One hundred and ten plant species were collected, including ten alien species. The highest abundance and species richness were registered in the rural site. The general tendency of vegetation structure is to plants decreasing with respect to the increase in the levels of urbanisation and air pollution present in the study area. The association between the environmental variables and plant communities along the urbanisation gradient was significant, being the relative humidity, the particles lower than 2.5 μm, the dew point and the heat index as the most important variables. The understanding of the nature and variability of vegetation within green areas contributes to increasing our knowledge about the distribution of the environmental services they provide and the composition of the faunal communities that depend on them. For this reason, this study relates the plants of a specific area of northeast Mexico with the environmental quality present in an urban area.
... The study of the community composition of butterflies showed that the total numbers of individuals collected were 823 and 507 individuals at the Karmat Ali and Al-Zubair sites, respectively; the specimens consist of 9 species of butterflies belonging to four families of the order Lepidoptera (Table1); the results of Table (2) indicated that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) among the butterflies populations associated with Brassicaceae plants; butterflies showed highest population of 4.71 individuals/ month at Karmat Ali, compared to 3.28 individuals/ month in the Al-Zubair region. However, the highest butterfly population was recorded for Vanessa crude, which reached 12.73 individuals/ month. ...
The study aimed to investigate the seasonal presence and characterization of the group of butterflies (abundance, richness and biodiversity) in the agroecosystem of Brassicaceae plants in the Basra province. Two different ecosystem sites (Karmat Ali at the sedimentary habitat and Al-Zubair region at the desert habitat) were sampled during the growing season of 2020/2021. There are 823 and 507 individuals at the Karmat Ali and Al-Zubair sites, respectively; the specimens consist of 9 butterflies belonging to four families. The most abundant family was Nymphalidae (60%), followed by Lycainidae (28%) and Pieridae (9%), while Hesperiidae recorded the lowest relative abundance of 3%. The highest butterfly population was recorded for Vanessa Carudi, while Pieris rapae had the lowest density. The results showed differences in abundance, species richness, and Diversity of butterflies at the sites. The highest values of Diversity and richness were at Karmat Ali, compared to the Al-Zubair region. The study of butterflies' abundance and biodiversity indices indicated that environmental factors and the polyculture plantations support the butterfly population in agricultural habitats. Keywords: Basra; Biodiversity; Brassicaceae; Butterflies; Shannon index; Richness.
... The order of Lepidoptera is one of the important economic insects that spreads in various regions of the world, which includes about 180,000 species, 126 families and 46 subfamily's, 10% of the total described species of living organisms [1]. Butterflies are considered adequate ecological representative for the invertebrates [2][3][4][5], and clear evidence of changes in the environmental quality. Butterflies also play important ecological roles in natural and agricultural habitats; they perform basi c ecosystem services [6,7]. ...
Butterflies were collected from two regions of Basra south of Iraq during November 2021 to March 2022. This survey showed ten species belong to ten genera under four families: Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae. The species Vanessa cardui showed the highest level of distribution while the lowest one was Pieria rapae.
... The work on endemic bird areas as a guide to global conservation priorities (ICBP 1992) is the largest published analysis that relies on this concept, in so far as it is argued that what is good for birds will be good for a wide variety of organisms (Thirgood and Heath, this volume). The most refined development of this general idea of choosing specific groups to act as surrogates is Kremen's (1992) `target taxon' approach. A variety of techniques are applied in an effort to identify particular, notably highly endemic taxa, sensitive to ecological boundaries, and which correlate strongly with the diversity of other organisms in differing local ecosystems (Kremen, in press). ...
Conservation of the Earth's diversity is one of the most important and daunting challenges faced by biologists and politicians alike. The challenge has been taken up and declarations of intent issued, but there remains a basic problem of defining what we are trying to conserve, and why. This collection of essays reflects the wide range of views that are held of what constitutes biodiversity; from its perception in terms of species numbers, categorization of landforms, or different ecological levels, to a dynamic and socio-political necessity for our own survival. The problems of matching species numbers, variety and the systematic hierarchy to geographic areas which we may wish to save are addressed. Given that we need to set priorites for conservation, it is suggested that the preservation of the systematic hierarchy - as the most complete representation of the evolutionary legacy - should be the goal of conservation. A synthesis of systematics and convservation Outlines methods of selecting priority areas for conversation Challenges the concepts of 'megadiversity' and 'hotspots' Focuses on the problems of monitoring and establishing databases
... Butterflies are important pollinators and herbivores among insects (1), with a long history of co evolution with plants (2). They are an excellent subject for ecological studies of landscapes (3) and their importance as biotope quality indicators is becoming increasingly recognised because of their sensitivity to modest changes in micro-habitat (4). Butterflies as pollinators play an important role in the growth, maintenance, and expansion of flora in tropical areas where they are abundant and diverse (5). ...
The present study provides information on Habitat Preferences of Butterflies of Forests of Chail Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time. Chail Wildlife sanctuary located in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh has a wide forest cover and it owes its prime conservation value due to its biodiversity. Because data on bio-resources that are crucial to ecological functioning is scarce, the current study documented the species composition of butterfly fauna and seasonal trends in richness and abundance of butterflies in Chail Wildlife Sanctuary for future management and conservation. The study's goal was to identify priority conservation species, their seasonality, and this area's butterfly diversity potential. From February 2018 to January 2021, surveys were conducted in three different seasons. A total of 3590 butterfly species were found during three years of field Survey. These belonged to five families. 68 butterfly species of families i.e. Nymphalidae (32 species) followed by species), Lycaenidae (13 species), Pieridae (12), Papilionidae (8 species) and Hesperiidae (3 species) of the order Lepidoptera were found. Family Nymphalidae with a percent composition of 42% oftotal individuals was the most dominant taxonomic group among them.The results of the study indicated thatthe Chail Wildlife Sanctuary has a healthy environmental setup that accommodates rich butterfly diversity and different diversity indices showed high diversity in community structure. This study is likely to contribute towards the conservation of butterfly fauna in this area.
... La residencia estimada en cada una de las especies presentó variaciones, lo cual puede atribuirse a que este grupo de especies puede tener varias generaciones durante el año (Cerpa y Flórez, 2016;Moreno y Acuña, 2015). Estas especies se caracterizan por presentar ciclos de vida relativamente cortos, donde la mayor duración (alrededor de 15 días) la experimentan durante su fase larval (Brown, 1991;Jenkis, 1983;Kremen, 1992;Pearson, 1994); de esta manera, los tiempos de residencia muy cortos de los adultos en esta zona puede ser un indicativo del carácter multivoltino de estas especies. El menor tiempo de residencia de H. amphinome se atribuye a la fidelidad que tiene esta especie por permanecer en puntos fijos en el interior del bosque, donde se encuentren troncos que presentan tonalidades más oscuras y por estratos altos con bastante dosel (Monge-Nájera, 1998). ...
Ecología Aspectos poblacionales y desplazamiento de mariposas Hamadryas (Nymphalidae) en distintos usos de suelo en los Montes de María, Colombia
Resumen Los estudios poblacionales de mariposas en el Caribe colombiano son escasos, razón por la cual se analizó la estructura poblacional y el desplazamiento de Hamadryas Hübner (1806) en diferentes usos del suelo en un paisaje fragmentado en los Montes de María, San Jacinto, Bolívar. Se realizaron 6 muestreos entre marzo y junio de 2018. En el área de estudio se ubicaron 7 estaciones donde se colocaron 5 trampas Van Someren-Rydon cebadas con mezcla de fruta fermentada. Mediante el método de captura-marcaje-recaptura, se registraron 541 individuos del género Hamadryas (312 machos-229 hembras). La especie más abundante fue H. feronia (Linnaeus, 1758) con 291 individuos registrados y la menos frecuente H. amphinome (Linnaeus, 1767) con 33 registros. Las proporciones sexuales variaron, aunque el número de machos siempre fue mayor y las hembras experimentaron una mayor distancia de desplazamiento. La estructura de edades y las recapturas mostraron un pico de emergencia de imagos entre abril-junio. Por último, la variación de la abundancia de Hamadryas se asocia, principalmente, con la cobertura del dosel, indicando que este factor juega un papel determinante en la dinámica poblacional de este grupo de mariposas.
... Variation in habitats based on types, resources as well and climatic factors leads to differences in species assemblages among desperate habitats (New 1997). Butter ies are highly sensitive to habitat disturbance and climate change, making them widely studied indicator species and easy to monitor or assess (Erhardt, 1985;Kremen, 1992;Pollard and Yates, 1993;New, 1997;Fleishman and Murphy, 2009). A recent study showed a 35% decline of Lepidoptera (butter ies and moths) in abundance globally over 40 years (Dirzo et al. 2014) with the factors associated with increases in arable land, deforestation, and global warming (Sánchez-Bayo and Wyckhuys 2019). ...
To understand the effects of local landscape factors on functional species composition and phenology of butterflies across multiple spatial scales, a study was carried out in a tropical dry forest of the northern highlands of the Eastern Ghats of India from November 2016 to October 2017. A total of 3343 individuals of butterflies were recorded, including 88 species of butterflies under 62 genera, 18 subfamilies, and 6 families in three different forest types (open, riparian, dense). Butterfly species richness showed no significant deviations, but diversity patterns varied across transects. Beta diversity indicated differences in common species populations, likely due to uneven resource distribution in study site forests. The contribution of β transect to gamma diversity was greater than that of β elevation, except for specialists. Specialists were favoured by landscape attributes over forest type. Butterfly abundance peaks in April for open and dense forests, and May for riparian forests. Results show variation in seasonal patterns across different forest types (F = 15.92, P < 0.001). Generalists and versatilists are more prevalent in April and February, while specialists are more abundant from October to November. Relative humidity, shrub density, and temperature were the major contributors (40.2%) for richness whereas relative humidity and shrub density contributed 26.3% for abundance. The relative humidity was predominant over temperature for species richness and is a major predictor for assemblages of generalist species. Resource utilization based on elevation plays an important role for habitat specialist species and highlights the importance of the spatial levels of elevation zones in conservation planning.
... These tests showed which variables had a significant association with particular species in the plots. This approach has long been identified as useful for identifying indicator organisms in the monitoring of protected areas (Kremen, 1992). Analyses were carried out in R version R.2.14.0, using the packages Vegan (CCA) and indicspecies (indicator species analysis). ...
Lowland heath is a priority habitat for conservation, nowadays largely managed for biodiversity. Historically, prescribed burning has been the principal management tool, but there are increasing calls to substitute burning with cutting to improve biodiversity outcomes. However, poor understanding of potential impacts compromises decision making.
Our study was carried out in the New Forest National Park, the largest area of lowland heath in Europe. Using a multi‐trophic approach, we compared the ecological impact of prescribed burning with two types of vegetation cutting (swiping and baling) as management tools for biodiversity outcomes for up to 20 years after management. Indicators included: common standards monitoring (CSM) assessment; vegetation species assemblage; below‐ and above‐ground invertebrate biodiversity; and available food resources for two characteristic heathland birds—the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata and the Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus .
When compared with swiped sites, areas managed by prescribed burning resulted in: better habitat condition (assessed by CSM); higher cover of heathers; lower bracken cover; more areas of bare ground. We found no evidence that burning is detrimental for the investigated components of biodiversity.
Cutting by swiping did not replicate the benefits of burning. Swiping supported grassland conditions that suit non‐heathland species. Baling resulted in habitat condition similar to prescribed burning but restricted replication of baled sites limited our conclusions. However, swiped sites supported high invertebrate abundance and diversity, including food resources for Dartford Warbler and Nightjar.
Synthesis and applications . Removing burning from the management programme is likely to reduce heathland condition. Biodiversity is encouraged by a mosaic of management and more mobile species, such as birds, will exploit the resources provided by several management techniques. Including some cutting in a rotational regime is likely to be beneficial although prescribed burning should form the majority of the management programme, Lowland heathland differs fundamentally from upland heathland/moorland and it is not easy to transfer the results. Current heathland CSM does not adequately assess wider biodiversity on protected areas but is effectively an assessment of vegetation feature condition. Including invertebrates in surveys provides a more nuanced assessment of heathland condition.
... Birds are an important component of nature and are a part of the natural food chain in different ecosystems (Whelan et al. 2008). Understanding the diversity and distribution of birds and other organisms is important in terms of understanding the adaptability, survival and extinction rates of species and providing knowledge that can be used to protect particular species of birds and other components of biodiversity that are correlated with them (Kremen 1992). Bird diversity acts as a strong bioindicator signal (Bhatt & Joshi 2011). ...
This study aimed to compare the diversity of birds between protected and non-protected areas that are similar in climatic and geographical features. The study was carried out in three different habitat types (forest, agricultural land and wetland) of protected Sundarijal and non-protected Changunarayan areas. Field data were collected using a "Point Count Approach" in transects which were laid in different habitat types (Forest, Agricultural land & Wetland). Shannon-Wiener and Margalef Diversity Indices were used to calculate the diversity of birds and Pielou's Evenness was used to calculate the evenness of bird species. Also, the national and global conservation status of bird species was categorized based on the National Red List Series and IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The result shows that, a total of 114 species of birds, of which 89 species from the Changunarayan and 80 species from Sundarijal were recorded. The overall Shannon-Weiner diversity, Pielou's evenness, and Margalef's richness index were higher in Changunarayan (H1 = 4.16, E1 = 0.92, and R1 = 12.85) than in Sundarijal (H2 = 3.65, E2 = 0.83, R2 =11.77). Our study has shown the highest Shannon-Weiner Index (H1=3.99) and Margalef's richness index (R1=11.51) in Forest in Changunarayan. However, in Sundarijal, the highest Shannon-Weiner index (H2=3.49) was found in farmland and Margalef's richness index (R2=9.54) was documented highest for the wetland. Among the total recorded species, 109 and 110 species were categorized as least concerned nationally and globally, respectively while 4 globally threatened and 5 nationally threatened species were recorded in our study site. Our study showed that both protected and non-protected areas support the diversity and richness of birds. Hence priority should be given to both areas for the conservation of birds.
... Este grupo de insectos son reconocidas como potencial indicador ecológico debido a su abundancia, diversidad, facilidad de encuentro y manejo en campo, por su estabilidad espacio-tiempo y porque las mariposas (comparados con otros grupos de insectos) presentan niveles de diversidad manejables y se trata de un grupo taxonómicamente bien estudiado para el trópico (Brown, 1991;Kremen, 1991;Sparrow et al., 1994;Constantino, 1996;Maes, 1999;Palacio & Constantino, 2006). ...
Se visitó la finca ecoturística CEPANA ubicada en Samulali, Matagalpa, con el objetivo de estudiar la abundancia y diversidad de mariposas diurnas (lepidópteros ropaloceros). Para el análisis de datos, se utilizaron el índice de Shannon (H') y el índice de dominancia de Simpson. El diseño del estudio consistió en tres transectos lineales de 50 x 2 m² para la captura directa y cinco trampas tipo V.S.R (Van Someren Rydon), ubicadas a una distancia de 50 metros entre sí, según la conveniencia de la topografía del lugar. Se encontraron especies de las familias Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Hesperiidae y Pieridae, con un total de 115 individuos y 28 especies identificadas. La especie más representativa fue Eunica monima ssp. modesta BATES, 1864. El método de captura directa mostró la mayor riqueza de especies. Aunque el bosque obtuvo los mejores resultados entre todos los lugares estudiados, no se observó una gran abundancia como se esperaba, posiblemente debido a la dominancia de ciertas especies y factores dinámicos como el clima, la intervención humana y los paisajes agrícolas. Nuestros resultados resaltan la importancia de conservar remanentes de bosque cerca de áreas antropogénicas para mantener un equilibrio de especies, tanto generalistas como especialistas.
... Macrobenthic organisms are essential components of estuarine ecosystems, as they exchange nutrients and dissolved gases, re-suspend the bottom layer of water bodies [6][7][8], disperse and bury sediments and produce secondary products. It has been established that the abundance, distribution, and ordination of benthic communities are closely linked to physico-chemical characteristics and are good environmental indicators [9][10][11][12][13][14], and that they are used in the assessment of human-induced and congenial disturbances of both population size and biomass in marine and estuarine ecosystems [15][16][17][18]. ...
Assessment of benthic diversity and estuarine ecological quality is becoming increasingly important. Estuaries are not only highly productive and variable environments, but they are also areas of high anthropogenic perturbations. In this study, benthic macrofauna were sorted, identified and analyzed from a freshwater-dominated tropical estuary along the Bay of Bengal to assess their community structure, distribution and functional guilds, and to uncover the environmental drivers influencing their distributional patterns. Results revealed that the studied physio-chemical variables (DO, pH, alkalinity and temperature) were significantly varied (p < 0.05) among the sites. Capitella sp. was dominant (18%) of the forty morphospecies recorded, indicating organic richness of the area. The ANOVA results revealed that macrobenthic density differed significantly (p < 0.01) between the study locations, and diversity indices (Shannon diversity index, H') also differed significantly (F4,12 = 5.89; p = 0.02). The benthic density decreased from the head to the mouth, which could be related to salinity fluctuations and large freshwater discharges. Upstream sites were completely segregated from downstream and mid-estuarine sites, according to cluster analysis (CA). The SIMPER results clarified the site grouping pattern, showing that Mysis-1 spp., Capitella spp. and Nephtys-1 were the most significant contributors. From the communities, five functional trophic groups were identified where deposit feeders were the most dominant (66.44%). Most of the macrobenthos had strong positive correlations with DO (r = 0.92) and water temperature (r = 0.86) and a negative correlation with soil pH (r = −0.28), per correlation and CCA analyses. Individually, soil pH (r = 0.88) and alkalinity (r = 0.898) showed strong positive correlation with Capitella sp. and Chironomus sp.2. The above results indicate that macrobenthos of this estuary do not follow the usual pattern of spatial distribution, and they are structured by DO, alkalinity and soil pH. In addition, dominance of some pollution indicator species (Capitella sp. and Chironomus sp.) and deposit feeders indicates a poor ecological condition of the estuary.
... Butterflies have been proven to be a reliable environmental indicator species [8,9] due to their sensitivity to natural environmental variations in performance [10,11]. Scientists across the world have studied how local and landscape-level factors affect butterfly communities in an urban context. ...
Simple Summary
Urban biodiversity conservation is currently a prominent issue in society. Butterflies serve as excellent environmental indicator species, and enhancing butterfly diversity can significantly enhance the quality of urban habitats. To contribute to this field, we conducted an analysis of butterfly diversity in various urban gradients. Our research incorporated Shannon diversity analysis, β-diversity analysis, familial diversity analysis, and indicator species analysis. We identified the characteristics and patterns of butterfly diversity distribution and aimed to provide useful insights for urban builders.
Abstract
Butterflies are key indicators of urban biodiversity and one of the most vulnerable organism groups to environmental changes. Studying how butterflies are distributed and what factors might influence them in urban green spaces is crucial. In this study, from July 2022 to September 2022, we examined and analyzed the butterfly diversity in nine parks in Fuzhou, China, along three different levels of urbanization (urban, peri-urban, and suburban). We investigated how butterfly communities respond to increasing urbanization. The findings revealed that: (1) A total of 427 butterfly individuals from 4 families and 13 species were observed; (2) Shannon diversity, richness, and abundance of the overall butterfly community were lower in the more urbanized parks. Urbanization had significant effects on Shannon diversity (p = 0.003) and abundance (p = 0.007) but no significant effects on the whole butterfly community richness (p = 0.241); (3) non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that there were differences in the overall number of butterfly species in urban parks among different geographic regions.
... Butterflies are important pollinators and herbivores among insects (1), with a long history of co evolution with plants (2). They are an excellent subject for ecological studies of landscapes (3) and their importance as biotope quality indicators is becoming increasingly recognised because of their sensitivity to modest changes in micro-habitat (4). Butterflies as pollinators play an important role in the growth, maintenance, and expansion of flora in tropical areas where they are abundant and diverse (5). ...
The present study provides information on Habitat Preferences of Butterflies of Forests of Chail Wildlife Sanctuary for the first time. Chail Wildlife sanctuary located in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh has a wide forest cover and it owes its prime conservation value due to its biodiversity. Because data on bio-resources that are crucial to ecological functioning is scarce, the current study documented the species composition of butterfly fauna and seasonal trends in richness and abundance of butterflies in Chail Wildlife Sanctuary for future management and conservation. The study's goal was to identify priority conservation species, their seasonality, and this area's butterfly diversity potential. From February 2018 to January 2021, surveys were conducted in three different seasons. A total of 3590 butterfly species were found during three years of field Survey. These belonged to five families. 68 butterfly species of families i.e. Nymphalidae (32 species) followed by species), Lycaenidae (13 species), Pieridae (12), Papilionidae (8 species) and Hesperiidae (3 species) of the order Lepidoptera were found. Family Nymphalidae with a percent composition of 42% oftotal individuals was the most dominant taxonomic group among them.The results of the study indicated thatthe Chail Wildlife Sanctuary has a healthy environmental setup that accommodates rich butterfly diversity and different diversity indices showed high diversity in community structure. This study is likely to contribute towards the conservation of butterfly fauna in this area.
... Indicator plant species are plants that are easily monitored and predict the condition of the environment where they originated. Indicator species can also be a sign of a distinctive set of environmental qualities or characteristics found in a specifc place [91]. ...
This study was carried out to investigate the effects of environmental and disturbance factors on plant community distribution in the Majang Forest Biosphere Reserve (MFBR) in south-west Ethiopia. A systematic sample design was conducted to collect vegetation and environmental factors in four study sites. In a nested plot design, the vegetation data were collected from 140 main plots, i.e., 400 m2 (trees), 25 m2 subplots (shrubs, lianas, seedlings, and saplings), and 1 m2 (herbs), respectively. The plant community classification was performed using agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s Linkage method) in R software (version 4.0.1). The distribution of plant communities along an environmental gradient was computed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). In this study, a total of 15 (9.5%) endemic plant species were recorded in MFBR. Four plant community types were identified, and these were Celtis zenkeri-Blighia unijugata, Pouteria altissima-Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius, Antiaris toxicaria-Celtis toka, and Dracaena afromontana-Cyathea manniana. Environmental and disturbance factors, such as elevations, slopes, harvesting indexes, soil pH, silt, and herbaceous cover, were the most important for determining plant community distribution in the area. Elevation and slope were found to have a significant ( P < 0.05 ) negative and positive relationship with species diversity and richness, respectively. Therefore, the finding of this study provides baseline information that could be necessary for making further conservation and management in MFBR.
... Several studies (Bowman, et al., 1990;Lawton, et al., 1998;Ramos, 2000) have discussed the potential of butterfly diversity in secondary forests. Among insects‚ butterflies are ideal subject for ecological studies of landscapes (Thomas and Malorie, 1985), and their value as indicators of biotope quality is being increasingly recognized because of their sensitivity to minor changes in micro-habitat, in particular, light levels (Kremen, 1992). Butterflies and Moths belong to the order Lepidoptera which is a very large group consisting of a magnificent distributions of the insects across the world. ...
India is a mega-biodiversity country. It hosts four biodiversity hotspots: the North East Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region and the Sundaland (Includes Nicobar group of Islands). These hotspots have numerous endemic species.The north east India occupies about 8% of the geographical area of the country and 4% of total population of the country. Due to its unique geographical distribution, pristine forests, natural water bodies it have its own identity. The biodiversity of the region is unique and endemic. The butterfly diversity of North East India deserves special importance due to its' endemism, wide habitat range, larval host plant diversity and role as environmental indicators. About 962 butterflies are found in NE including the northern part of West Bengal and every year the number is increasing with new discoveries. The current paper deals with 19 species of butterflies from NorthEast India which is majorly endemic to the region. Such documentation is of extreme importance in order to understand the role of colorful butterflies in maintaining the biodiversity of a specific region.
... In the European Alps, Corcos et al. (2018) reported variable trends across elevation for the diversity parasitoid and predatory insects. Our work in ACG and the observations of others suggests that the desire to extrapolate from one taxa to others as indicator (Kremen 1992) or umbrella strategies (Noss 1990), will not work (Prendergast et al. 1993;Prendergast and Eversham 1997). However, while we have documented extremely variable influences of elevation on alpha diversity in taxa of the ACG leaf litterthere is one strikingly uniform response that was not dependent on the taxon -all communities were increasingly dissimilar with increasing elevational separation. ...
Biological diversity changes along montane slopes. Such changes are particularly stark in the neotropics due to the relative stability of abiotic variables (like temperature and precipitation) across elevation. While these relationships have been understood since the late 1960s, elucidating patterns of neotropical diversity along elevation is slowed by taxonomic impediments (including that most tropical arthropod species are not named) and by a general lack of quantified abiotic conditions (such as lapse rates) for specific neotropical mountains. In northwestern Costa Rica, in the Área de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), we have worked to understand the elevational distribution of diverse leaf-litter fauna while collecting temperature data from coastal dry forest through rain forest into the cloud forest at the montane peaks of these volcanos. We found, the predictable pattern in the face of the climate crisis, that the cold, historically temperature invariant cloud forests are rapidly heating while the hot low elevation dry forests are not cooling off during the rainy season as they would have historically. To avoid the taxonomic impediment, we used DNA barcodes to focus on six taxa (Formicidae, Staphylinidae, Araneae, Collembola, Isopoda and the Microgastrinae) and found that the connection between alpha diversity and elevation was very dependent on the tax on in question (along elevation: some increased, some decreased, some displayed mid-elevational peaks and some no relationship). However, changes in betadiversity occurred with dramatic speed and were remarkably similar across taxa. To understand patterns of diversity and elevation in the neotropics we need to illuminate the biology of cryptic arthropod species. To communicate the sensitivity of neotropical elevation gradients to the climate crisis requires baseline data collection. Unfortunately, further study of these questions and collection of these data will not provide solutions to the underlying problems of the climate crisis in the neotropics. This requires (at least) three coincident strategies. Locally, increase the size of protected areas while concurrently maintaining and expanding long-term monitoring and expertise. Globally, accelerate and entrench strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a low-carbon future.
... A significant majority of the larvae of lycaenid butterflies are known for strong mymecophilic associations (Pierce et al., 2002). Due to their sensitivity to ecological parameters, butterflies are also considered to be one of the most important indicator species (Kremen, 1992;Launer and Murphy, 1994). ...
Diversity and abundance of butterfly (Papilionoidea) species were studied intensively between January 2017 and December 2021 from six heterogeneous sites of the newly created Jhargram district in West Bengal state, India. A total of 142 species from all six butterfly families were recorded from the study sites, of which 45 belong to the family Lycaenidae, 42 to Nymphalidae, 29 to Hesperiidae, 14 from Pieridae, 11 from Papilionidae and 1 from Riodinidae. Thirteen of the species observed are new reports from the district. New distributional records of Deudorix epijarbas (Moore), Notocrypta curvifascia (C. Felder and R. Felder) from the southern part of West Bengal are reported. Rachana jalindra (Horsfield) is rediscovered from the southern part of West Bengal after a long period. Gangara thyrsis (Fabricius) is reported from this part of the state for only the second time. Additionally, Cupitha purreea (Moore), Gerosis bhagava (Moore), Sarangesa dasahara Moore, Celaenorrhinus leucocera (Kollar), Rapala pheretima (Hewitson), Athyma inara Westwood, Athyma selenophora (Kollar) and Tanaecia lepidea (Butler) are among the other notable species which are reported for the first time from Jhargram district. The statistical analysis of the diversity and abundance of the study sites and the analysis of variance and rarefaction have been performed to study the β-diversity and compare the abundance of the sites in order to understand the heterogeneity of butterfly observations. The distribution by site of the species has also been studied.
... The Philippine archipelago is remarkably rich in diverse flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world. The richness of plants and animals is fundamental in studying the health of an ecosystem and plays a vital role in informing humans about the state of an environment (Kremen, 1992;Dufréne & Legendre,1997;Carignan & Willard, 2002). Over the years, more than 32,400 species of plants and animals were discovered throughout the country, as vouched by numerous floristic and faunistic studies. ...
The island of Mindanao where the Province of Lanao del Norte is situated is rich in biological diversity. Most plants and animals on this island are endemic-naturally occurring and are found nowhere else in the world. Despite the wealth of biodiversity studies, no known information has yet been formally published on the flora and fauna of Iligan City. a metropolitan area in the province of Lanao del Norte. This study, therefore, presents the endemic as well as the threatened plants and animals that were documented on Mount Agad-Agad in Iligan City. Mount Agad-Agad is an ecologically important massif, and a popular hiking and recreational destination. Floristic and faunistic surveys were conducted using standardized sampling methods. A total of 151 species of threatened and endemic flora (N = 60 species) and fauna (N = 90 species) were found to thrive in this lowland habitat. Although these species are important conservation targets, regional and Mindanao Island endemic, the results of the study indicate that the overall species diversity in Mount Agad-Agad is a significant biodiversity hub for this metropolitan area. The protection and conservation of this biologically important mountain are, therefore, highly recommended.
... The Philippine archipelago is remarkably rich in diverse flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the world. The richness of plants and animals is fundamental in studying the health of an ecosystem and plays a vital role in informing humans about the state of an environment (Kremen, 1992;Dufréne & Legendre,1997;Carignan & Willard, 2002). Over the years, more than 32,400 species of plants and animals were discovered throughout the country, as vouched by numerous floristic and faunistic studies. ...
... The diversity at the subspecies level is very high, with different subspecies present in different islands on account of their geographical separations (Gandhi 2000). The description of the structure and functioning of bird communities are useful in ecological theory and conservation practice (DeSante 1990;Kremen 1992;Chettri et al. 2001). Inventory of the status and population of wildlife is an integral part of their management (Mendoza 1986). ...
... They represent the health of ecosystem as they are sensitive to environmental change and status of biodiversity as a whole (Chettri, 2010;Pierson, Barton, Lane and Lindenmayer, 2015). Understanding the different species including bird diversity is an integral part of biodiversity conservation (Kremen, 1992). An extensive study on diversity of bird have been done in global label (Hawkins and Porter, 2001;McCain, 2009). ...
Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (SNNP) plays an important role in global biodiversity conservation, but research based on avian diversity along elevation gradients has not been studied yet. Therefore, this study aims to explore avian diversity, its pattern, and environmental variables affecting bird species richness along elevation gradients. The point count method was carried out in the monsoon season (June and July) in 2019. Data for environmental variables including elevation, distance to settlement, distance to nearest water sources, temperature, and precipitation were assessed with respect to the feeding guild. A total of 130 species of bird belonging to 40 families and 12 orders were recorded including the Steppe eagle (endangered species) and Spiny Babbler (only endemic bird of Nepal), which indicate that SNNP supports avian diversity. Diversity indices showed diverse bird community assemblage such as the Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H'=2.65), Simpson diversity index (0.92), and evenness index E=0.94). Our study revealed insectivores were dominating among others and the order Passeriformes had the high species richness. Our observation revealed that the bird species richness was significantly greater at lower elevations than at mid and high elevations, showing a clear monotonic decline in species richness and diversity with increasing elevation. In the case of feeding guild (insectivores, omnivores, frugivores, and carnivores), most of the bird species showed a significant relationship with environmental variables (elevation, distance to settlement, distance to nearest water sources, temperature, and precipitation). It was concluded that not only environmental factors are responsible for affecting avian diversity but elevational gradients consisting of heterogeneous habitats can also play an important role in shaping avian diversity patterns.
... Indian subcontinent is known for diverse and rich bird species whose taxonomy, distribution and their general habitat characteristics are well documented in India (Jerdon, 1862(Jerdon, -1964Bates and Lowther, 1952; Ali and Ripley, 1983). Bird community evaluation has become an important tool in biodiversity conservation and for identifying conservation actions in areas of high human pressure (Kremen, 1992;Safiq et al., 1997). ...
Indian subcontinent is known for diverse and rich bird species whose taxonomy, distribution and their general habitat characteristics are well documented in India. Bird community evaluation has become an important tool in biodiversity conservation and for identifying conservation actions in areas of high human pressure Birds are of great economic importance to the human society. They play an important role in controlling population of different insects and pests. They play the role of scavengers and pollinating agents and also help" s in dispersal of seeds of different vegetations. They are helpful and help to provide rich food for mankind and are known to man since ages. Salim Ali laid the foundation of economic ornithology which promoted the scientific study of avian species. As a result of one year (June 2015 to May 2016) observation at The American college, Madurai, Tamilnadu 35 bird species were recorded, belonging to 12 orders and 28 families. Birds species recorded in the campus (35 species) come under least concern category only. Out of 35 species sighted in the college campus, 40% species are common. Passeriformes order represented by 16 species belonging to 14 families contribute to about 46% of total avifaunal species richness. Among the foraging group, insectivores (40%) dominated the bird community.
... Ecologically, birds constitute an important component of nature playing crucial roles in different ecosystems [1] . Understanding of the diversity and distributions of birds and other organisms is important in terms of understanding adaptability, survival and extinction rates of species and providing knowledge that can be used to protect particular species of birds and other components of biodiversity that are correlated with them [2] . Changes in the life histories, population and behavior, and reproductive patterns of birds have been used to examine the long-term effects of habitat degradation the study area [3] . ...
... The diversity at the subspecies level is very high, with different subspecies present in different islands on account of their geographical separations (Gandhi 2000). The description of the structure and functioning of bird communities are useful in ecological theory and conservation practice (DeSante 1990;Kremen 1992;Chettri et al. 2001). Inventory of the status and population of wildlife is an integral part of their management (Mendoza 1986). ...
The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve is one of the 18 Biosphere Reserves created under the Man and Biosphere Programme of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. The study was conducted in Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (GNBR) during August 2008–September 2020. The aim of this study was to describe the species abundance, diversity and distribution pattern of bird communities. The present study documented baseline information about avifauna in Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, and the occurrence of 145 species of birds confirms the importance of this reserve for biodiversity protection. Mean abundance data were used, and the analysis showed that the truncated lognormal model is fitting to the bird community at the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve. The species abundance, diversity and density of birds varied in the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve which could be due to vegetation type, foliage height, nesting availability and floristic composition of the area. The abundance and distribution of bird species in Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve have been examined, and the results of this study support that this area represent a unique and important habitat type.KeywordsAndamanAvifaunaBiosphereDiversityGreat Nicobar
... En Sara Ana se han registrado 86 especies que se alimentan de materia orgánica en descomposición y 4 especies que posiblemente pertenecen a este gremio. Estas mariposas se consideran buenos indicadores del estado de conservación del hábitat y pueden permitir monitorear rápidamente una declinación en la diversidad de especies (Erhardt 1985, Kremen 1992, Kremen et al. 1993, Brown & Hutchings 1997, Andrade 1998, Lawton et al. 1998, Wood & Gillman 1998, DeVries & Walla 2001, García-Perez et al. 2007, Millán et al. 2009, Orozco et al. 2009). ...
... An appropriate taxon to target is likely to be one that has undergone a radiation where a variety of unique habitats possibly evolve. Therefore, a study on distribution and taxonomy of a target species can provide an (should this read an?) index for overall biodiversity within a given region (Kremen, 1992, Kremen, 1994. ...
Capuchin Monkeys comprise of two genera, Sapajus and Cebus, each genus includes a multitude of identified species and subspecies. The taxonomy of Capuchin Monkeys in the past has been up for much debate, previous studies contradict new research on the species. The use of molecular phylogenetics in conservation helps to identify groups of species and subspecies. This identification enables researchers to estimate population sizes and determine those in need of long term intensive conservation. GenBank is a comprehensive database of nucleotide sequences; these sequences consist of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b. The cytochrome b (cytb) gene is commonly used to DNA barcode species, this gene is used in this study to build a phylogenetic tree for Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus and Cebus). GenBank was used throughout this research to retrieve all cytb sequences for every Sapajus and Cebus species and subspecies available. The tree built through IQtree and Figtree allows to identify errors and gaps in the available cytb sequences; errors may include mislabelled sample sequences, and potential molecular operational taxonomic units for the species’. This study shows there are a many gaps in the published cytb sequences preventing research into Capuchin Monkeys from advancing. Results show close relation between all Sapajus species and much more diversity between Cebus (untufted) Capuchins. From detailed research into the conservation status of each Capuchin it is evident from IUCN reports that the majority of Capuchin species or subspecies require extensive conservation. Many of these species have become isolated through a variety of conditions, geographically barriers in an ever changing landscape throughout central and south America. From the gaps presented in the GenBank phylogenetic tree further DNA sequences need to be made public for the use of public research.
... The diverse habitat and climate of India is responsible for the different colour, size, and species of butterflies. They are recognized as a potent ecological indicator because of their sensitivity towards changes in habitat, climate, and weather [11][12][13] and also as an important component of food chain. They can be good study material for the analysis of genetics, coevolution and insect -plant relationship. ...
Present study was an attempt to investigate the biodiversity of the butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) at Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand in the year 2019 to 2021. The seasonal collections were made at the interval of 15 days. The objective of this work was to understand the status of species richness and diversity of the butterflies, mainly during the COVID-19 lockdown. Total 702 individuals of butterflies belonging to 21 species under the three families Nymphalidae, Pieridae and Papillionidae with their host plants were reported. Nymphalidae was the most dominant family. The diversity was calculated using Shannon Weiner Index (H). The calculated values of Shannon Weiner diversity index (H) was found to be highest (3.012) during the year 2021. These values indicate that the area of study contains good butterfly diversity and it might play a role in the biodiversity conservation.
... The overall species accumulation curve did tend to reach saturation, but the land-management type-based and habitat-based accumulation curves did not do so fully, indicating the probability of finding more species in the landscape, perhaps after sampling in the more inaccessible reaches of evergreen forests in both protected areas and community forests. My results demonstrate the sensitivity of butterflies to local patch-scale microclimatic conditions such as humidity, light and temperature, in accordance with similar previous studies (Kremen 1992, Hamer et al 2003, but with region specific interesting tipping points at which butterfly activity seems to decline with increasing temperature. This finding implies that any habitat modification activities such as logging that opens up the canopy might possibly promote an increase of widespread species with a corresponding decline in understorey species. ...
One of the fundamental goals in ecology is to explain the spatial and temporal patterns of biological diversity. This is important as it helps in determining associations of environmental variables with observed patterns of community similarity in order to understand mechanisms that may influence beta diversity. Moreover, it is also crucial in determining appropriate locations for nature reserves as well as in assessment of management strategies with respect to exploitation of forest resources. Butterflies are one of the better known invertebrate taxon in the world. With an estimated 20,000 species in the world, they occupy a prominent place in conservation efforts and biodiversity assessments as they can serve as a valuable barometer of overall community complexity, especially in tropical forests.
The Garo hills in Meghalaya, north-eastern India, is part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot region. Vast swathes of this autonomous region are occupied by tropical forests, the majority of which are community-managed. Covering a spatial extent of approximately 605 sq.km., the Balpakram-Baghmara (BBL) landscape in the South Garo hills district of the region encompasses the largest protected area in the state - Balpakram National Park (BNP) - as well as smaller state-managed reserved forests. In such a landscape where protected areas, community-managed forests, monoculture plantations and shifting cultivation (locally called jhum) co-exist, the main aim of this study was to assess and compare the butterfly assemblages in each of these land-management categories in order to determine the effect of rapid land-use change on butterfly communities.
I enumerated butterflies during time-constrained 30-minute counts in all four treatment areas between March and May 2014. I surveyed different sites only once during this period, but took a total of 298 counts covering varied vegetation types and land-management systems. During these counts I captured individual butterflies for identification purposes if needed, and released them on the spot. I also recorded environmental variables such as light, relative humidity and temperature during all counts.
Comparison of diversity indices and extrapolated species richness for each treatment revealed that the community-owned and managed forests were not significantly different from the state-owned forested tracts. Both harboured a similar composition of habitat-specialist species as well. Butterfly communities in monoculture plantations and jhum landscape differed significantly from those found in forests (state- or community-managed) and were highly depauperate in terms of habitat specialist species. Climatic variables of light, temperature and relative humidity did not seem to affect butterfly communities in a significant manner across treatments, although they did exert an overall effect on butterfly species richness and abundances.
The study highlights the importance of community forests in butterfly conservation, and perhaps to biodiversity conservation in general, in the Garo Hills. It also suggests that the rapidly changing land-use pattern being witnessed in these areas, with forests making way for monoculture plantations, might pose a threat to such diverse ecological assemblages. It might be worth considering innovative ways of involving people with forest conservation activities in order to preserve the unique and varied biota of the region.
... La preferencia por el estudio de los Lepidoptera se basa en su gran atractivo, por su abundancia y facilidad de encuentro, así como por la sensibilidad ecológica, endemismos, facilidad de manejo en campo y laboratorio, estabilidad taxonómica y espaciotemporal, y su importancia como bioindicadores, debido a la sensibilidad a cambios en sus hábitats, convirtiéndose en una excelente herramienta para la evaluación del grado de conservación o alteración del medio natural (BROWN, 1991(BROWN, , 1997EHRLICH, 1984;KREMEN, 1992KREMEN, , 1994KREMEN et al., 1993KREMEN et al., , 1994LLORENTE & MARTÍNEZ, 1998). En este sentido, la degradación de las áreas silvestres contribuye con la extinción de especies de Lepidoptera, lo cual es crítico en las zonas Andinas debido a la ampliación de la frontera agrícola y urbana (PALACIOS & CONSTANTINO, 2006). ...
Se realizaron capturas de los Lepidoptera diurnas dentro del proyecto de “Caracterización de la Entomofauna silvestre de la cuenca de río Cachirí, jurisdicción de la CDMB”, la cual se ubica en el departamento de Santander, al nororiente de los Andes colombianos, en bosques secundarios en un gradiente altitudinal entre los 400 y 3.250 msnm, con el propósito de establecer una línea base sobre la diversidad entomológica, y eventualmente detectar ele�mentos faunísticos para la conservación de zonas boscosas dentro de la cuenca. Se colectaron 331 ejemplares de 112 especies pertenecientes a las familias Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae y Nymphalidae. La familia Nymphalidae fue la mayor abundancia (191) y riqueza de especies (66). Santa Rosa (1.220 msnm) fue el sitio con mayor abundancia (91) y mayor riqueza de especies (47). El análisis de la calidad del inventario indicó una riqueza potencial de especies de 224,35, una proporción de especies observadas del 49,92% y un esfuerzo de mues�treo del 99,78%. Santa Rosa fue la localidad con los mayores valores de diversidad: abundancia (91), riqueza obser�vada (47), riqueza potencial (115,17), diversidad de orden 1 (38,84) y diversidad de orden 2 (31,73). La compara�ción de los inventarios de los sitios de muestreo permitió determinar que no existe similitud entre estas localidades, lo cual se puede explicar por las distancias altitudinales y geográficas entre ellas.
PALABRAS CLAVE: Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, abundancia, Andes colombianos, diversidad, riqueza de especies,
Colombia.
... La preferencia por el estudio de los Lepidoptera se basa en su gran atractivo, por su abundancia y facilidad de encuentro, así como por la sensibilidad ecológica, endemismos, facilidad de manejo en campo y laboratorio, estabilidad taxonómica y espaciotemporal, y su importancia como bioindicadores, debido a la sensibilidad a cambios en sus hábitats, convirtiéndose en una excelente herramienta para la evaluación del grado de conservación o alteración del medio natural (BROWN, 1991(BROWN, , 1997EHRLICH, 1984;KREMEN, 1992KREMEN, , 1994KREMEN et al., 1993KREMEN et al., , 1994LLORENTE & MARTÍNEZ, 1998). En este sentido, la degradación de las áreas silvestres contribuye con la extinción de especies de Lepidoptera, lo cual es crítico en las zonas Andinas debido a la ampliación de la frontera agrícola y urbana (PALACIOS & CONSTANTINO, 2006). ...
Resumen Se realizaron capturas de los Lepidoptera diurnas dentro del proyecto de "Caracterización de la Entomofauna silvestre de la cuenca de río Cachirí, jurisdicción de la CDMB", la cual se ubica en el departamento de Santander, al nororiente de los Andes colombianos, en bosques secundarios en un gradiente altitudinal entre los 400 y 3.250 msnm, con el propósito de establecer una línea base sobre la diversidad entomológica, y eventualmente detectar elementos faunísticos para la conservación de zonas boscosas dentro de la cuenca. Se colectaron 331 ejemplares de 112 especies pertenecientes a las familias Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae y Nymphalidae. La familia Nymphalidae fue la mayor abundancia (191) y riqueza de especies (66). Santa Rosa (1.220 msnm) fue el sitio con mayor abundancia (91) y mayor riqueza de especies (47). El análisis de la calidad del inventario indicó una riqueza potencial de especies de 224,35, una proporción de especies observadas del 49,92% y un esfuerzo de muestreo del 99,78%. Santa Rosa fue la localidad con los mayores valores de diversidad: abundancia (91), riqueza observada (47), riqueza potencial (115,17), diversidad de orden 1 (38,84) y diversidad de orden 2 (31,73). La comparación de los inventarios de los sitios de muestreo permitió determinar que no existe similitud entre estas localidades, lo cual se puede explicar por las distancias altitudinales y geográficas entre ellas.
... Butterflies play an important role as bioindicators of terrestrial environments and habitat quality and have therefore established a role in biological monitoring and conservation (Koh, 2007). The topics about the roles of insects as indicators of forest disturbance have been previously discussed by many authors (Wilson, 1987;Brown, 1991;Sutton & Collins, 199;Kremen et al., 1993) and butterflies are considered as an effective group for assessment studies (e.g., Brown, 1991;Kremen, 1992;Sparrow et al., 1994;New et al., 1995;New, 1997). Lepidopterans are one of the most familiar and easily recognised insects, due to their colouration that reached the highest degree of specialisation (Richards & Davies, 1977). ...
... Méndez, com.pers. 1996), También los ensambles de especies de mariposas han sido evaluados como indicadores de la riqueza y estado de los hábitats debido a su sensibilidad a los cambios en microclimas y niveles de luz (Kremen, 1992;Sparrow, 1994). La familia Hesperiídae (Papilionoidea) sensn Heppner(1991), es la tercera de las cinco familias de mariposas diurnas en número de especies conocidas y estimadas en el mundo. ...
En este documento se presentan los resultados obtenidos en el estudio sobre los hesperiídos de la cooperativa Bethel, en la parte baja de la Sierra del Lacandón, La Libertad, Fetén, en la Peninsula de Yucatán. Se elaboró un listado anotado de las 94 especies determinadas para Bethel, que incluye información fonológica y de hábitat. Los datos fenológicos sugieren que los hesperiídos son estacionales, presentando el mayor pico de actividad de agosto a noviembre. También se comparó la composición de hesperiídos presentes en Bethel, con las de otras localidades de la Peninsula de Yucatán, entre estas: Tikal, Quintana Roo y Chajul, Chiapas, las dos últimas localizadas en México. Según los indices de comunidad de Sorensen y Jacquard, la mayor semejanza se encuentra entre Tikal y Bethel, siendo esta de (0,5 y 0.33), respectivamente.
... They form important exhibits in Zoos and Natural History Museums since ages. Lepidoptera (Butterflies and moths) are the second largest order of phylum arthropoda that can be easily identified and helps to measure the biodiversity (Tiple and Khurad, (2009), Kremen (1992)). Butterflies are mostly nectoriferous that feed up on plants but also fed up on other sources too. ...
my article is about how diversity changes according to the season.
The two volumes of this handbook provide a comprehensive account of the emerging and vibrant science of the ecological restoration of both habitats and species. Ecological restoration aims to achieve complete structural and functional, self-maintaining biological integrity following disturbance. In practice, any theoretical model is modified by a number of economic, social and ecological constraints. Consequently, material that might be considered as rehabilitation, enhancement, re-construction or re-creation is also included. Principles of Restoration defines the underlying principles of restoration ecology, in relation to manipulations and management of the biological, geophysical and chemical framework. The accompanying volume, Restoration in Practice, provides details of state-of-the-art restoration practice in a range of biomes within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Handbook of Ecological Restoration will be an invaluable resource to anyone concerned with the restoration, rehabilitation, enhancement or creation of habitats in aquatic or terrestrial systems, throughout the world.
The two volumes of this handbook provide a comprehensive account of the emerging and vibrant science of the ecological restoration of both habitats and species. Ecological restoration aims to achieve complete structural and functional, self-maintaining biological integrity following disturbance. In practice, any theoretical model is modified by a number of economic, social and ecological constraints. Consequently, material that might be considered as rehabilitation, enhancement, re-construction or re-creation is also included. Principles of Restoration defines the underlying principles of restoration ecology, in relation to manipulations and management of the biological, geophysical and chemical framework. The accompanying volume, Restoration in Practice, provides details of state-of-the-art restoration practice in a range of biomes within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Handbook of Ecological Restoration will be an invaluable resource to anyone concerned with the restoration, rehabilitation, enhancement or creation of habitats in aquatic or terrestrial systems, throughout the world.
The impacts of anthropogenic synthetic contaminants are becoming a serious concern, primarily due to their harmful effects on human health and adverse effects on ecosystems, biodiversity, and human well-being. Of more than 100 million chemicals, ~0.36% are regularised, as recorded in the Chemical Abstracts Registry database. Such chemicals ultimately contaminate water bodies and reduce the amount of potable water. It is estimated that about 50% of the human population will suffer from water shortages by 2025 if the present trend continues. Gause’s classical work in population ecology stimulated interest in working with ciliates as model organisms in ecotoxicology. Ciliates are good indicators for assessing saprobic water quality due to their abundance, ubiquity, and sensitivity to anthropogenic impacts. However, although more than 50 ciliate species are now in use as bioindicators, researchers should attempt to utilize the excellent potential of ciliates as bioindicators in large-scale studies, considering their availability and cost-effectiveness. Any change in the community composition of ciliates in response to environmental shifts is a powerful tool for biomonitoring and bioassessment.
Insect comprises more than half of the earth’s diversity of species. Butterflies are the most studied and well known insect group. Because of their short life cycle, they are good for the study such as genetics insect-plant interaction and co-evolution. However, due to large scale destruction of habitat, due to various developmental activities of man, many species of butterflies are on the verge of extinction.
The two volumes of this handbook provide a comprehensive account of the emerging and vibrant science of the ecological restoration of both habitats and species. Ecological restoration aims to achieve complete structural and functional, self-maintaining biological integrity following disturbance. In practice, any theoretical model is modified by a number of economic, social and ecological constraints. Consequently, material that might be considered as rehabilitation, enhancement, re-construction or re-creation is also included. Principles of Restoration defines the underlying principles of restoration ecology, in relation to manipulations and management of the biological, geophysical and chemical framework. The accompanying volume, Restoration in Practice, provides details of state-of-the-art restoration practice in a range of biomes within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Handbook of Ecological Restoration will be an invaluable resource to anyone concerned with the restoration, rehabilitation, enhancement or creation of habitats in aquatic or terrestrial systems, throughout the world.
Se revisaron 199 ejemplares de la familia Papilionidae depositados en la Colección de Entomología del Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad del Cauca (MHN-UniCauca), Popayán, Cauca, Colombia. El material biológico ha sido recolectado por estudiantes, profesores e investigadores desde los años 1940s hasta la fecha. Se identificaron nueve géneros, 40 especies y 58 subespecies. Las especies más abundantes fueron H. thoas neacles (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) (10), H. paeon thrason (Felder & Felder, 1865) (10), P. telesilaus (Felder & Felder, 1864) (10), E. serville acritus (Rothschild & Jordan, 1906) (9) y P. eurimedes agathokles (Kollar, 1850) (9),mientras que 20 subespecies estuvieron representadas por un solo espécimen. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos sobre la actividad de recolección del material biológico y de los recolectores mismos, desde la creación de la Colección de Entomología hasta la fecha, así como sobre la distribución altitudinal y geográfica. El análisis de la calidad del inventario estableció que la riqueza potencial de subespecies de la familia Papilionidae en la Colección de Entomología de la Universidad de Cauca es de 83,73 (pendiente = 0,21; porcentaje de especies observadas = 59,72), lo cual indica que aunque el número de subespecies registradas es alto y la calidad del inventario es aceptable, faltan subespecies de Papilionidae por ser registradas para la zona.
Background: Efforts to alleviate the negative effects of oil spills in the Ecuadorian Amazon include remediation activities such as cleaning, reshaping, and revegetation of polluted areas. However, studies of the diversity of biological communities in these hydrocarbon-degraded ecosystems have never been carried out. Here, we evaluated the diversity of dung beetles on remediated soil ecosystems (Agricultural Soils and Sensitive Ecosystems) and on non-contaminated soils (Natural Forests and Palm Plantations).
Methodology: The study was conducted in Sucumbíos and Orellana provinces, in the Ecuadorian Amazon at four sampling sites per ecosystem type (a total of 16 sites). At each sampling site, six pitfall traps remained active for 120 consecutive h per month for 1 year.
Results: We collected 37 species and 7,506 individuals of dung beetles. We observed significant differences in mean species abundance, richness, and diversity between non-contaminated soil ecosystems and remediated soil ecosystems, with Natural Forests presenting the highest values, and Agricultural Soils the lowest values. Regarding sampling month, we also found significant differences among ecosystems, which were also higher in Natural Forests.
Discussion: The results suggest that hydrocarbon-degraded ecosystems tend to conserve lower beetle diversity one year after remediation highlighting the importance of Natural Forests for the conservation of tropical biodiversity. Therefore, dung beetle diversity could be used for future landscape management of these hydrocarbon-degraded ecosystems.
The most vulnerable and hazardous environments in the world are hills or mountains, harbour rich repositories of biodiversity. In the year 2010, mountains have been recognised as important ecosystems by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its special programme on ‘mountain biodiversity’ which aims to reduce the loss of biological diversity in the mountains at global, regional, and national levels.
Expanding urbanization at global rate has affected bird diversity and composition drastically (Leveau et al., 2017). Forest vegetation assist in avifaunal maintenance which provide food and water to birds and thus promote biodiversity (Silva et al., 2020). Darjeeling covers a variety of ecosystems in India are the main source to country economy as they provide a site for ecotourism and important habitat of many valuable species of birds. Knowledge of the composition of avian communities is crucial to determine the ecology and health status of the local ecosystem or regional landscapes. So, understanding of avian community structure and diversity is therefore essential to recognize the importance of landscapes for avian conservation. There are about a total of 10,721 species of birds having been reported, globally. From Southeast Asia a total of 1932 species and 113 families of bird species having been recorded, whereas from India 1263 species from 23 orders, 107 families and 492 genera were listed. In a healthy ecosystem birds play an important role, such as predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersals, seed predators and ecosystem engineers. They acts as an excellent bio-indicator to assess environmental changes of a healthy environment as they exploit all trophic levels in a food chain. Natural disasters like drought or anthropogenic stress in the ecosystem and urbanization may indicate population dynamics of bird species. Anthropogenic activities that could lead to habitat destruction, pollution and overexploitation are main key factor for the rapid decline of variety and variability of avian species population. Diversity and distribution of avian species are not consistent with the landscape but pattern of biodiversity changes with the environmental factors, climatic conditions, topography and habitats. India now ranks at 10th among the top bird rich countries of the world where 1340 species of birds are inhabiting. Out of these, 80 % of the birds are found in the Indian Himalaya (Mandal et al., 2018), thus making it a paradise for ornithologists as well as conservationists.
In the context of mountain, altitudinal gradients display a number of diversity patterns of birds (McCain, 2009). Moreover, the Himalayan avian diversity for a wider range remains relatively least investigated (Sultana et al., 2007). However, some important studies on Himalayan context of bird diversity and community structure have been made (Laiolo, 2004). Continued degradation of the forests at the present pace is likely to wipe out over 90% of the Himalayan forests by the year 2100, leading to the extinction of many valuable species (Pandit et al., 2007). Eastern Himalayan region (EHR), including Darjeeling, is the part of the biodiversity hotspots in India is also identified as an endemic bird area (Birdlife International, 2001). This region harbours an extensive variety of birds, attributed for its physiography and topography.
Darjeeling, situated in the north-eastern part of India, has always been known for her natural resources. The hills and forests, besides enhancing the beauty of the land, contain valuable flora and fauna, some of which are rare in the world. Darjeeling, a small but beautiful hill station is nestled in the lap of the mighty Eastern Himalayas, bounded by lush green forests and gentle streams. In other words, it is an amazing place of hidden valleys, mystical monasteries, temples, churches, mosques, historical monuments and a mountain setting covered with flowers and rare fauna. In other words, Darjeeling is a veritable paradise on the earth and a tourist destination. The flora and fauna of Darjeeling is a treat for nature lovers. The bio-diversity of the flora and fauna naturally covers a wide and myriad spectrum tropical to alpine.
Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is home to some of the magnificent birds found in planet earth, threats to the habitats of these magnificent birds is a matter of serious concern. Conserving our feathered friends from the impending threats to them thus becomes a prime concern. The present issue brings some of the important birds from the Darjeeling Hill Area. A fuller knowledge of the habits of birds is always useful, also their typical modes of flight, general bearing etc.-a fairly accurate aid, is the season, and locality birds are found. The Darjeeling district was also rich in birds’ life. It contained nearly a quarter of the species of birds found in India Burma and Ceylon that means about 550 species. Of the approximately 550 species in the district, more than half are passerine group. Of these groups the largest families are the Timalidae with 61 species of birds including laughing thrushes and babblers.
The butterfly diversity of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve (GNBR) was studied during 2017–2021. The objective of the study was to investigate the pattern of butterfly diversity in different ecological locations. The line transect method was used to assess the population of butterflies. A total of 2418 individuals belonging to 65 species in 5 families and 49 genera were recorded along with the different habitats. The highest number of species was recorded from the family Nymphalidae, followed by Lycaenidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae. The maximum diversity was recorded in Joginder Nagar, and the lowest diversity was observed in Indira Point. The lowest similarities were observed between Indira Point and Joginder Nagar. This study confirms the diversity of butterflies and the potential conservation role of natural habitats.KeywordsDistributionDiversityBiosphereButterflyGreat Nicobar
We give a generalization of Mersenne hybrid numbers. We find the Binet formula, the
generating function, the sum, the character, the norm and the vector representation of the
generalizition. We obtain some relations among this generalizition and well known hybrid
numbers. Then we present some important identities, Cassini, Catalan, Vajda, D’ocagne,
Honsberger for the generalizition.
A major factor in considering faunal diversity is merely ST, the total number of species present. This measure, coupled with the area available to the given fauna, is sufficient to raise some interesting questions. For example, why is ST for the butterflies of Peru (approximately ½ million square miles) about 4000, whereas for Western Europe ST is less than one tenth of this figure (fewer than 400 species in over one million square miles)? The ecologist usually has need of a more refined measure of diversity than that provided by ST alone, and endeavours to incorporate at least factors for individual species abundance, or equitability. The taxonomist and the biogeographer usually demand refinement in another direction – some estimate or reflection of the number of higher taxa represented in a given fauna. Here I will be concerned largely with the origins and coexistence of species within a single fauna, that is the origins and dynamics of species which coexist in sympatry. To study this, it is necessary to establish working hypotheses in two realms – the realm of time (phylogenetic hypotheses) – and the realm of multidimensional ecospace (hypotheses of community ecology). The focus to which attention is directed concerns the processes by which speciation events are either generated, maintained, or eliminated within faunas. This demands that we be interested in the operation of genetic isolating mechanisms, and of competition. In a group such as butterflies, both of these are spectacularly behavioural processes. First, however, I would like to look briefly at the idea of accounting for butterfly diversity through coevolution with flowering plants.
Thermal environments in a large, topographically diverse serpentine soil-based grassland were quantified and ranked using a computer model of clear sky insolation and shading on different slopes to determine the effects of microclimate on the rates of development of each of the life stages of the butterfly Euphydryas editha bayensis. Larvae developed to pupation earlier on warm slopes than on progressively cooler slopes. Availability of sunlight can be limiting for larvae, which bask indirect sun to raise body temperature. Larvae can disperse >10 m/d, allowing them to transfer between microclimates. Pupae on warmer slopes also developed faster than those on cooler slopes. Microclimate also affects the phenology of host plants of larvae and nectar sources of adults. Larval and pupal development and host-plant phenology determine the phase relationship between adult butterfly flight and host-plant senescence, which in turn determines mortality rates of prediapause larvae. Adult females that eclosed early in the season could have their offspring survive on almost all slopes, survivorship of offspring from adults that eclosed in the middle of the flight season was restricted to cooler slopes in the habitat. Some butterflies eclosed too late for their offspring to survive on any slope. Topographic diversity on several scales is a prime indicator of habitat quality for this butterfly. Areas of high local topographic diversity on a scale of tens of metres appear particularly important for long-term population persistence under variable climatic conditions.
Growth and dispersal of postdiapause Euphydryas editha larvae were studied in a serpentine soil-based grassland. Larval weight gain was highly correlated with insolation at ground level which is determined by slope exposure and date. Maximum dispersal distances were >10m d -1; dispersal >5m d -1 resulted in depressed growth rates during the period of disperal. Larvae which disperse such distances can transfer from cool to warm slopes and can pupate up to 2wk sooner than larvae remaining on cool slopes, even after paying the time and metabolic costs of dispersal.-from Authors
Data on the presence or absence of 25 fish species in a survey of 52 lakes from the watersheds of the Black and Hollow rivers of S- central Ontario were analyzed with 8 similarity coefficients. Co-occurrence coefficients reflect a general size effect similar to that commonly found in principal-components analysis. Measures of association and Ochiai's coefficient incorporate implicit centering transformations that reduce the size influence associated with the frequency of occurrence. Cluster analyses using co-occurrence coefficients are most susceptible to this size effect. The interpretations of many dendrograms fail to recognize size effects that arise from employing non-centered similarity coefficients. Arguments contrasting phenetic and phylogenetic methods may unknowingly debate the utility of centered versus non-centered coefficients, since the size effect undoubtedly contributes to the apparent strength of phylogenetic approaches. -from Authors
Evidence from the attempt to preserve wading birds in Everglades National Park suggests that application of biogeographic theory to design and management of continental wildlife reserves requires considerations additional to those previously proposed. Shape and areal extent alone are inadequate criteria for reserve design. Unlike islands, continental reserves are not necessarily self-contained ecosystems driven by endogenous processes. The isolation of a continental reserve may lead to a phenomenon of ecosystem degeneration, the extent and rapidity of which depends on the ecological condition of adjacent habitat. Management strategies to preserve maximum species richness are seldom totally acceptable and often inherently unattainable. Conflicts between species management and ecosystem management illustrate the need for instituting an array of management strategies on a regional basis for preservation of both endangered species and ecosystems.
Biodiversity is presently a minor consideration in environmental policy. It has been regarded as too broad and vague a concept to be applied to real-world regulatory and management problems. This problem can be corrected if biodiversity is recognized as an end in itself, and if measurable indicators can be selected to assess the status of biodiversity over time. Biodiversity, as presently understood, encompasses multiple levels of biological organization. In this paper, I expand the three primary attributes of biodiversity recognized by Jerry Franklin — composition, structure, and function—into a nested hierarchy that incorporates elements of each attribute at four levels of organization: regional landscape, community-ecosystem, population-species, and genetic. Indicators of each attribute in terrestrial ecosystems, at the four levels of organization, are identified for environmental monitoring purposes. Projects to monitor biodiversity will benefit from a direct linkage to long-term ecological research and a commitment to test hypotheses relevant to biodiversity conservation. A general guideline is to proceed from the top down, beginning with a coarse-scale inventory of landscape pattern, vegetation, habitat structure, and species distributions, then overlaying data on stress levels to identify biologically significant areas at high risk of impoverishment. Intensive research and monitoring can be directed to high-risk ecosystems and elements of biodiversity, while less intensive monitoring is directed to the total landscape (or samples thereof). In any monitoring program, particular attention should be paid to specifying the questions that monitoring is intended to answer and validating the relationships between indicators and the components of biodiversity they represent.
This chapter concerns data analysis techniques that assist the interpretation of community composition in terms of species' responses to environmental gradients in the broadest sense. All species occur in a characteristic, limited range of habitats; and within their range, they tend to be most abundant around their particular environmental optimum. The composition of biotic communities thus changes along environmental gradients. Direct gradient analysis is a regression problem—fitting curves or surfaces to the relation between each species' abundance, probability of occurrence, and one or more environmental variables. Ecologists have independently developed a variety of alternative techniques. Many of these techniques are essentially heuristic, and have a less secure theoretical basis. This chapter presents a theory of gradient analysis, in which the heuristic techniques are integrated with regression, calibration, ordination and constrained ordination as distinct, well-defined statistical problems. The various techniques used for each type of problem are classified in families according to their implicit response model and the method used to estimate parameters of the model. Three such families are considered. The treatment shown here unites such apparently disparate data analysis techniques as linear regression, principal components analysis, redundancy analysis, Gaussian ordination, weighted averaging, reciprocal averaging, detrended correspondence analysis, and canonical correspondence analysis in a single theoretical framework.
The pipevine swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor, normally consumes @?45% of the annual leaf crop of its primary host plant in east Texas (USA), Aristolochia reticulata. Feeding by larvae significantly increases plant mortality and decreases plant growth rate. No direct effects of larval feeding on reproduction were detected, but a substantial decrease in seed production per plant is inferred from the increased mortality and decreased growth rates. Plants grown experimentally at high density had the same probability of having eggs laid on them as did plants grown at low density. The actual number of leaves eaten per plant was also similar for plants grown at both densities. Larval feeding increased mortality and decreased plant growth rate by similar amounts at both high and low plant density. There was also no evidence that seed production was greater at one plant density than at another. The pipevine swallowtail thus does not appear to regulate the density of local patches of Aristolochia. These experimental results do not rule out the possibility of regulation by a numerical response of the butterfly to increases in host population densities throughout large areas of habitat. These results suggest that the pipevine swallowtail has exerted a potent selective pressure molding the evolution of A. reticulata. Three characteristics of this plant species may be interpreted as adaptive responses to this pressure: tough, nutrient-poor leaves; underground flowering and fruiting; and a high root/shoot ratio.
Field data on the species content of plant and animal communities are noisy. Variation in community samples partly reflects interesting variation in environmental and historical factors, and partly reflects random fluctuations in species abundances. Routinely community data are analyzed by eigenvector ordination techniques, such as principal components analysis, reciprocal averaging, and detrended correspondence analysis. It is shown here with simulated community date that ordination selectively recovers patterns affecting several species simultaneously in early ordination axes, while selectively deferring noise to late axes. Eigenvector ordinations thus appear to be effective for reducing noise. This result helps to explain the observation that ordinations of field data are frequently useful even when the percentage of variance accounted for by the first few ordination axes is small. A related conclusion is that rounding of the abundance values of community data sets has little effect on results from ordination, and consequently fairly crude field data are entirely adequate for ordination purposes.
This study documents the ecological significance of flight activity in relation to thermoregulation in Colias butterflies. Observations of behavior, flight movements, and basking temperatures were made on tethered and free-flying butterflies to evaluate individual components of the elevational patterns of population flight activity reported elsewhere (Kingsolver 1983). The relationship of flight activity to reproductive strategies and population structure in Colias is emphasized. Male Colias spend more time in flight and make flights of longer duration when they can achieve basking temperatures within the 30@?-40@?C flight activity range. Male Colias at all elevations fly 50-90% of the time when the required body temperatures are attainable. Males fly for short durations during nectaring and longer during mate location and courtship activities. Females spend less time in flight and make flights of shorter duration than males. These differences are discussed in terms of the different reproductive strategies of males and females. The significantly longer duration of flight for Colias at mid- and high-elevation sites may explain the longer dispersal distances observed in population structure studies at these sites. The observed differences in catchability between sexes is also correlated with the sexual differences in flight behavior reported here. The time spent in flight, short life expectancies, and time budgets of Colias suggest that the time available for flight activity during an individual's lifetime may be limited. Calculations indicate that egg production during the lifetime of females is usually below the physiological maximum due to the limitations in flight activity time; because of elevational differences in available flight time, egg production at higher elevations may be less than half of that at lower elevations.
The microdistribution of adult subalpine butterflies was examined in relation to several components of the mountain meadow flora in Gunnison County, Colorado. With the exception of two small, sedentary species, there was no significant correlation between the microdistribution of the butterflies and that of their larval food plants. Similarly, correlational studies indicated no strong habitat selection on the basis of nectar source abundance. The diversity of the butterfly fauna was, if anything, negatively correlated with overall floral diversity. It thus seems that most of the butterflies studied treat a wide array of meadow-vegetation associations as suitable habitat.
The term “indicator organism” can have a variety of meanings. In its narrowest and perhaps most often used sense, an indicator organism is a single species whose abundance, physiological state, or reproductive success gives the investigator information about the environmental conditions to which it has been exposed. The indicator concept has been employed traditionally by regulatory agencies to assess the consequence of anthropogenic activity, using the indicator species as a surrogate for the ecosystem as a whole. The concept of a single-indicator species useful for such purposes is, however, as one of the editors points out, “illusory as the search for alchemist's gold,” and if the reader expects that this volume contains only a review of the use of indicator organisms in pollution monitoring, he or she will be greatly surprised. The editors have instead chosen a broad definition of indicator organisms and applications. The result is that the “indicator organism” may not be an organism at all (e.g., the paper by G. S. Kleppel on pigments as trophodynamic indicators), and the environmental information conveyed, such as climatic changes or the presence of mesoscale oceanic features, is most often unrelated to man's activities.
Plant and animal species have been used for decades as indicators of air and water quality and agricultural and range conditions. Increasingly, vertebrates are used to assess population trends and habitat quality for other species. In this paper we review the conceptual bases, assumptions, and published guidelines for selection and use of vertebrates as ecological indicators. We conclude that an absence of precise definitions and procedures, confounded criteria used to select species, and discordance with ecological literature severely weaken the effectiveness and credibility of using vertebrates as ecological indicators. In many cases the use of ecological indicator species is inappropriate, but when necessary, the following recommendations will make their use more rigorous: (1) clearly state assessment goals, (2) use indicators only when other assessment options are unavailable, (3) choose indicator species by explicitly defined criteria that are in accord with assessment goals, (4) include all species that fulfill stated selection criteria (5) know the biology of the indicator in detail, and treat the indicator as a formal estimator in conceptual and statistical models, (6) identify and define sources of subjectivity when selecting monitoring and intetpreting indicator species, (7) submit assessment design, methods of data collection and statistical analysis, interpretations, and recommendations to peer review and (8) direct research at developing an overall strategy for monitoring wildlife that accounts for natural variability in population attributes and incorporates concepts from landscape ecology.
Laboratory bioassays provide a first step in testing for chemical effects on ecosystems but are inadequate for predicting
effects on natural populations and on ecosystem-level features. For these purposes we need microcosm studies, controlled experimental
manipulations of whole ecosystems, and a sound theoretical basis for extrapolation.
Extinction coefficients are estimated from the rates of disappearance of bird species from islands severed from the Neotropical
mainland at the close of the Pleistocene. These coefficients accurately predict the loss of species from Barro Colorado Island,
Panama, over a recent 50-year period. Prescriptions are given for the preservation of six categories of extinction prone species.
Global warming would diminish biological diversity by causing extinctions among reserve species. Patterns of climatic change are discussed, including global patterns of surface temperature increase, as predicted by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and global changes in moisture patterns. The concept of biological reserves (essentially the same concept as biological refugia) is discussed, and the effect of climatic changes on reserves is discussed. The types of biological communities particularly at risk due to climatic changes are identified. 67 references, 3 figures.
A method based on transect count has been developed to assess changes in abundance of butterflies from year to year. The method involves weekly walks around atransect route making counts of butterflies seen within defined limits. The transects are divided into sections related to habitat or management units. Walks are made only when weather conditions satisfy specified minimum requirements. The method has been tested for three years at Monks Wood and for two years at a number of other sites.The basis for annual comparisons is an index of abundance which is produced for each brood of each species, except when separation of broods is not possible. This index is correlated with abundance, although the precise nature of the relationship will vary from species to species. Evidence on this presented for two species.The method makes it possible to monitor the abundance of butterflies at selected sites, using recorders, such as nature reserve wardens, who can fit in one or two hours recording each week when the weather is suitable. Such a scheme, based on the methods described in this paper, began in 1976. In addition to the monitoring of fluctuations of abundance, the method provides considerable information on the phenology and ecology of butterflies. The division of the transects into sections makes some assessment of the effects of habitat change, due to management or other factors, possible.
Presents the case for applying DCA to multidimensional gradients or to gradients of unknown dimensionality. If we assume a one-dimensional Gaussian model for species response curves, then a two-dimensional ordination using principal components analysis (PCA) typically shows a curve with a peak on the second axis near the middle of the first axis. This curve has been called the "horseshoe.' PCA arranges stands in terms of linear combinations of species abundances. The result is that, if a gradient is sufficiently long for samples from near the middle to have little in common with samples from near the ends, the ordination will be curved such that the distance between the ends roughly equals the distance from the ends to the middle (horseshoe-shaped). When such a curve is projected onto a single dimension, the ends are involuted and the order along the underlying single-dimensional compositional gradient is scrambled. Thus, when using PCA, one must present the ordination in ≥2 dimensions in order to be able to trace the original one-dimensional gradient. -from Authors
Forests ecosystems, with their stratified structure, provide a diversity of habitats for a variety of animals. The influence of acidic deposition on forests is being studied intensely, and preliminary research indicates that some forest resources are being affected. These effects and the potential for subsequent change in forest structure and function imply that an impact on the wildlife inhabitants is occurring. In most cases, these impacts are not direct, but instead reflect modifications of habitat and changes in trophic relationships. Detecting changes distinguishable from normal spatiotemporal variations in animal populations is difficult. The net result over time may be reductions or shifts in populations and species composition. This paper provides an overview of current information on the impact of acidic deposition on forest resources as it relates to animals.
Resumen: Los Ecosistemas Forestales, con su estructura estratifcada, proveen una diversidad de habitats a una variedad de animales. La influencia de depósitos acidicos en la selva está siendo estudiada intensamente, e investigaciones preliminares demuestran que algunos recursos forestales están siendo afectados. Estos efectos y el potencial cambio subsequente en la estructura y función del bosque implican que la vida silvestre está sufriendo un impacto. En la mayoría de los casos, estos impactos no son directos pero reflejan, en cambio, modifcaciones del habitat y cambios en interrelaciones tróficas. Le detección de cambios diferentes a variaciones espacio-temporales normales en poblaciones animles es dificil. El resultado neto bajo un periodo de tiempo puede ser reducciones o cambios en la composición de especies y poblaciones. Este informe provee un diagnóstico de la información vigente sobre el impacto que los depósitos acídicos tienen en los recursos forestales en cuanto a su relación con los animales.
I analyse the effects of habitat fragmentation on the pollination success of a perennial, butterfly‐pollinated, caryophyllaceous herb, the maiden pink, Dianthus deltoides L. The study was conducted in July 1986 and July 1987 at two different sites in southwest Sweden, an undisturbed “mainland” site and a fragmented site consisting of “habitat islands” within a heavily utilized agricultural area The fragmented area had a lower diversity and abundance of both flowering plants and flower‐visiting insects. Dianthus flowers received fewer visits in the fragmented area than in the mainland area, and the seed set was much lower. Hand pollination increased seed set up to 4.1 times in the fragmented area, but no significant differences were found between hand‐pollinated and control flowers at the mainland site. There were no differences between the two sites in standing crop of nectar, ovule number per flowers, or seed set of bagged flowers, band‐pollinated flowers, and hand‐pollinated fertilized flowers Thus, the difference in natural seed set between the two sites can be explained by differences in pollinator service.
Indirect gradient analysis, or ordination, is primarily a method of exploratory data analysis. However, to support biological interpretations of resulting axes as vegetation gradients, or later confirmatory analyses and statistical tests, these axes need to be stable or at least robust into minor sampling effects. We develop a computer-intensive bootstrap (resampling) approach to estimate sampling effects on solutions from nonlinear ordination.
We apply this approach to simulated data and to three forest data sets from North Carolina, USA and examine the resulting patterns of local and global instability in detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) solutions. We propose a bootstrap coefficient, scaled rank variance (SRV), to estimate remaining instability in species ranks after rotating axes to a common global orientation. In analysis of simulated data, bootstrap SRV was generally consistent with an equivalent estimate from repeated sampling. In an example using field data SRV, bootstrapped DCA showed good recovery of the order of common species along the first two axes, but poor recovery of later axes. We also suggest some criteria to use with the SRV to decide how many axes to retain and attempt to interpret.
The vegetation dynamics in six permanent plots in two lowland rivulets of the Federal Republic of Germany are analyzed. The year-to-year change in species cover is displayed by means of tables. In each site there are core species (both hydrophytes and helophytes) which have been able to successfully reproduce within the sampling plots over the total observation period. There are also transient hydrophytes which regularly become washed in from the upper course, and transient helophytes growing permanently into the river from the banks.
A numerical analysis of the performance of the 12 most frequent and abundant hydrophytes in relation to various independent variables was carried out using canonical correspondence analysis. There is no directional temporal variation within the vegetation data set. The hydrochemical variables were almost constant within the observation period. Rainfall in summer has some influence via discharge and turbidity. Most of the variance in the data set is explained by the position of the sites along the rivers. Most of the residual variance can be explained by a binary disturbance variable. The processes observed can mostly be explained from life history characteristics of the dominant species, particularySparganium emersum, Ranunculus peltatus andPotamogeton natans. The spatial scale of the study site was relatively adequate. A smaller size would have produced noisy data (suggesting erratic change), while a greater size would have produced no change at all. The adequate temporal scale for observation is the comparison of the yearly maxima because of the seasonality of most of the species. An exact prediction of dominance and species composition of the following year is impossible.
A study was made of the butterflies associated with different biotopes in the Atlas mountains in Morocco. Geographically restricted species were found to be biotope specialists. These tend to be vulnerable species which warrant conservation measures, and are not necessarily the species which appear low in a rank species abundance curve. Butterfly species richness was correlated with plant species richness, and butterfly density with percentage ground cover of the vegetation. Many butterflies were restricted to particular seral stages. A comparison is made of the potential effectiveness of species versus ecosystem conservation in Morocco. As most species are poorly studied, probably the best conservation strategy for butterflies is to protect as wide a variety of biotopes as possible. Subsequently a species approach may be applied to species not encompassed by this policy.
This paper describes how the size of butterfly populations may be quickly assessed during surveys. The method is a development of Pollard's transect technique, which measures changes in adult numbers in time on fixed sites. In this development, comparability between counts made in the same season on different sites is achieved by ensuring that the transect representatively samples each population, and that the results take account of the length of transect, size of site, and the recording date. The accuracy and usefulness of the method are assessed, using examples taken from six recent surveys. It is concluded that the method gives an accurate measurement of numbers for species that fly freely in open habitats, and an adequate, but less accurate, estimate for species that aggregate or fly in heterogeneous habitats.
A simple hypothesis about habitat choice by ovipositing butterflies is that females prefer to lay their eggs on plants in habitats where juvenile growth and survival are best. This hypothesis was evaluated by studying 3 Aristolochia-feeding swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae: Troidini). Results show that the eggs and larvae of all 3 butterfly species survive significantly better in shady habitats than in sunny habitats. Pupal survival is similar in the 2 habitats for at least 1 species. Larval growth rates were similar in the 2 habitats for all 3 species. Thus, for all 3 species shady habitats appear to be more suitable for juvenile development and survival than sunny habitats. Only Parides montezuma lays most of its eggs in shady habitats, however; Battus philenor and B. polydamus females lay most of their eggs in sunny habitats. The original hypothesis is therefore not upheld by this study. Three alternative explanations for the discrepancy between the relative suitability of habitats for the juvenile stages and habitat choice by ovipositing females are suggested.
Dung and carrion beetle communities in 1 ha and 10 ha forest fragments differed from those in contiguous forest, even though the fragments had been isolated by <350 m for an ecologically short time (2-6 yr). At a study site 80 km N of Manaus, Brazil, 55 species in 15 genera were trapped. Pitfall samples from clear-cut areas separating forest fragments from intact forest indicated that beetles rarely moved from intact forest into fragments. The apparent barrier imposed by clearcuts diminished with the invasion of second growth. Except for the 4 species in the genus Glaphyrocanthon, all species were found more frequently in forested areas than in clearcuts. Glaphyrocanthon constituted 97% of the 717 individuals captured in clearcuts and was never captured in contiguous forest or 10 ha fragments. Forest fragments had fewer species, sparser populations and smaller beetles than comparable intact forest areas. The changes in dung and carrion beetle communities help explain the low rate at which dung decomposed in 1 ha fragments. -from Author
Ecological methodology
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Ecological diversity and its mea-surement The higher classification, phylogeny and zoogeography of the Satyridae (Lepidoptera) An environment-metapopulation approach to population vi-ability analysis for a threatened invertebrate
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Butterflv diversity in natural habitat fragments: a test of the validity of ver-tebrate-based management. Pages 287-292 in mod-eling habitat relationships of terrestrial vertebrates
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Critical resources for an endangered butterfly: using habitat selection to solve management problems Marine organisms as indicators: reality or wishful thinking
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