World Journal of Biology and Biotechnology

INTRODUCTION Butterflies have long been symbolized by beauty and grace and are widely recognized for their diurnal behavior, vibrant colors, varied shapes, and graceful flight patterns, captivating the and interest of observers. Butterflies are very important economically. They feed on nectar from flowers by using proboscis. Some take nourishment from pollen (Gilbert, 1972). Butterflies act as excellent bioindicator of health of natural ecosystems due to their sensitivity on microclimate and light level. Caterpillars of sweet potato butterflies feed on sweet potato leaves. Heavy attacks during dry season can result in complete defoliation of crop (Bashaasha et al., 1995). Papiliodemoleus, the citrus caterpillar is pest of citrus and curry leaf Murrayakoenigii plantation (Malik, 1970). The young nursery plants 1-2 feet high are preferred by citrus caterpillars and they are capable to defoliate nursery plants completely (Yunus and Munir, 1972; Thakre and Borle, 1974; Matsumoto and Noerdjito, 1996; Narayanamma et al., 2001). Butterflies have specific habitat requirement depending upon their feeding and reproduction requirements, loss of which may cause local extinction. Thus the conservation value of a habitat could be assessed by the presence of various species of Butterflies in an area. Thriving in almost every habitat with flowering plants, butterflies are found at different altitudes, excluding extreme Polar Regions and snow-covered mountainous terrains. The comprehensive examination of butterflies has its roots in the 18th century, and as of 1998, a documented total of 19,238 species worldwide has been recorded. This number is dynamic, as the discovery of new species remains an ongoing occurrence (Roberts, 2001). Biological diversity, commonly known as biodiversity, is a crucial component in the realms of science, society, economy, education, culture, aesthetics, and recreation within the animal kingdom (Kempton and Taylor, 1976; Kempton and Wedderburn, 1978; Kempton, 1979; Magurran, 1988). It encompasses the variety and numerical composition of species. The link between diversity and niche stability over time (Mcintosh, 1967) suggests that a greater number of niches support higher diversity (Begon et al., 1986; Magurran, 1988). Generally, homogeneous environments tend to foster lower diversity, whereas diverse environments and contribute to greater diversity (Begon et al., 1986; Magurran, 1988).

OBJECTIVES: The fauna in the study area lacks comprehensive documentation hence there has been no previous assessment of butterfly biodiversity. This baseline study represents the first effort to evaluate the diversity of butterfly fauna in the Ghamot National Park. The objectives are to estimate species richness, species evenness, and species diversity through a comparative analysis across different habitat types.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study area: Ghamot National Park (GNP) is situated in the upper Neelum Valley, approximately 170 kilometers north of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Initially established as a game reserve in 1982 and later upgraded as National Park in 2004, GNP comprised on block compartments no. 16 and 17 of Sharda Forest division. The total covered area of this park is 27,271 hectares (67,388 acres), mainly consisting of highlands pinched by fast-flowing cold ravines. GNP is located at 35° 24' N and 73° 57' E, encompassing elevations ranging from 2430 to 4950 meters above sea level. Positioned adjacent to Surgan Nullah, the park is about 25 kilometers from Sharda. Access to Ghamot National Park involves traversing a seven-kilometer paved road leading to a small town Surgan that serves as an entry point to the Surgan Valley. From Surgan village, an additional 16 to 18 kilometers of drivable terrain leads to Ghamot village, a small settlement situated along the park's boundary (Jahangeer et al., 2023; Jahangeer et al., 2024)(figure 1).­­

The research area encompasses mountainous terrain characterized by sheer and irregular topography, fragile geology, and a climate marked by snowfall and rainfall. It is nestled within deep valleys and high ridges, featuring slopes that are exceptionally steep, reaching up to 100% incline at numerous sites and extending for hundreds of meters. The region experiences common occurrences of landslides and glacier slides due to loose rocks, steep slopes, inadequate land use practices, diminished vegetation, and substantial rainfall. Dotted throughout the area are 25 freshwater springs, and it is traversed by four perennial streams, Hula Bhaik, Sora, Kali Jander, and Saralfed by cold and clear water originating from the melting snow on mountain peaks. These streams converge to form Surgan Nullah, and upon reaching the union council Sharda, it joins the Neelum River (Anwar and Aziz, 2008; Jahangeer et al., 2023).

Data collection: Following the methodology outlined by Sevilleja et al. (2019), the butterfly transect counts method was used to collect specimens and Visual Surveys was also conducted in the study area. Zonation of study area was done before conducting study survey; Zonation was done on the basis of topographic feature, vegetation characteristics, elevation, aspect and slope of study area. The Study area was stratified into five different zones i.e. forest zone, (FZ, elevation ranges between 2400-3300m), scrubland zone (SLZ, 2800, 3200m), high alpine pasture zone (APZ, 3400-4400m), riparian zone (RZ, 2400-3600m) and agricultural crop land zone (ACZ, 2300-2700m) (figure 1). These five zones were further divided into eight different localities, all localities in same zone had same vegetation characteristics but with different elevation, slop and aspect.  Eeach featuring transects approximately 1 km in length (500x2 m in width). These transects were further subdivided into sections (50x2 m, 125x2 m, 500x2 m) corresponding to various habitats or discrete components within a site (table 1). The transects were systematically walked once a week, with observers tallying the number of butterflies within a predefined area measuring 5 m in width, 5 m in height, and 5 m ahead of the observer's position throughout the butterfly season. Monthly visits to all localities were carried out monthly from June 2020 to the conclusion of July 2021. However from October 2020 to March 2021, surveys were not conducted due to substantial snowfall, rendering the area inaccessible. A total of 211 specimens were collected using pitfall traps, light traps, sweep nets, and hand-picking methods (Faiz et al., 2018; Ahsan et al., 2019) (figure 2). The captured species were retrieved using hand nets and killed and stuffed in a cyanide bottle containing moist cotton swabs soaked in formalin to maintain humidity and minimize physical damage. Subsequently, these specimens were pinned and placed on spreading boards before being transferred to identification boxes. Each specimen was labeled with essential information, including the capture location, date of collection, family name, scientific name, collector's name, and source. Employing both national and international references, the specimens were identified at the species level (Shin and Park, 2001; Faiz et al., 2018; Ahsan et al., 2019).

Statistical analysis: Shannon-Wiener index, Shannon equitability, Margalef index, and Simpson index were used to determine butterfly diversity following Khan et al., (2004). The shannon-Weaver diversity index was further described mathematically in the following words;

The local conservation status (LCS) was evaluated based on the abundance of specimens using following formula; 

Where;

ns= the individual count of the same species in all localities,

NS= the number of individuals of all species in all localities

(Abundance was converted into percentage, “AP”). Following Jahangeer et al. (2023), the local conservation status was classified into four categories: Class Abundant "A," Class Common "C," Class Becoming Rarer "BR," and Class Rare "R.

RESULTS: A total of 539 individuals belonged to 16 species and 3 families, were documented across 8 localities exhibiting diverse habitats. The Nymphalidae family demonstrated the highest species percentage (n=7, 43.75%), followed by Pieridae (n=6, 37.5%) and Papilionidae (n=3; 18.75%). Among these, Colias erate was recorded as the most prevalent species, accounting for the highest abundance (n=60; 11.13%) (figure 4). The highest abundance was recorded in the forest-dominated habitats, i.e. FZLI (n=91; 16.53%) followed by FZL5 (n=102; 18.92%), and FZL2 (n=73; 13.54%). Conversely, the agricultural land habitat recorded the lowest abundance (n=32; 5.56%). Furthermore, species richness was highest in the forest habitat (n=15; 93.75%), whereas the riparian zone exhibited the lowest abundance (n=8; 50%) (figure 3). The maximum value of Shannon diversity (3.77) and Simpson (0.92) was recorded in the forest zone (FZL5) while the least diversity (3.02) and Simpson (0.89) was recorded in the riparian zone (RZL2). The highest value of evenness (1.01) was recorded in the forest zone (RZL2). However, lowest value was recorded in the alpine pasture zone (APZL1) (table 2). Within the Ghamot National Park, 03 species were classified as abundant (A), while 06 were as common. However, three species were categorized as common, and one species, Catopsila crocale, was identified as rare (R) in the park. Notably, fourteen out of the sixteen species were designated as least concern (LC), while 02 species (Papilio bianor and A. shyperbius) were not assessed according to the IUCN Red List (2020) (table 3).

Figure 1: Location map and altitudinal variation of study area

Table 1: Detail of transects Count Pollard walk sampling in Ghamot National Park

Table 2. Recorded diversity indices of butterflies in Ghamot National Park during 2020-21

Key: Forest zone “FZ”, scrubland zone “SLZ”, riparian zone “RZ”, Alpine zone “APZ”, Agricultural crop zone “ACZ”.  localities “L”

Table 3. Recorded diversity, abundance, and richness and conservation status of butterflies in Ghamot National Park during 2020-21.

Key: Forest zone “FZ”, scrubland zone “SLZ”, riparian zone “RZ”, Alpine zone “APZ”, Agricultural crop zone “ACZ”,  localities “L” number “1-3”, Abundance percentage “AP”, Local conservation status “LCS”; Abundant “A”, common “C”, becoming rare “BR” and International union for conservation of nature “IUCN”, not elevated “NE”, least concern “LC”.

Figure 2: Specimen’s collection in Ghomat National Park. Transect with 8 section in and around the study area (A) and Butterflies Specimens collection in Saral Locality (B).

Figure 3: Recorded richness and abundance of butterfly species in Ghamot National Park during 2020-21.