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2021 | Volume No. 13, Issue 4
ENVIS SIKKIM NEWSLETTER ON FORESTS, ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE Sikkim ENVIS Hub Publication PPAANNDDAA On Status of Environment & its Related Issues Special Edi on
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Editorial Board PANDA Shri. M. L. Srivastava, IFS ENVIS SIKKIM Newsle er Addl. Chief Secretary-cum-PCCF Volume No 13 Issue No. 4 [2021] Shri. N. W. Tamang, IFS, CCF (Env.&SC/ HQ) Registra on No. 61685/93 ISSN 2320-3943 Shri. B. B. Gurung, IFS Director (Env. & SC, Planning and ENVIS) PANDA Vol. 12 2020 Previous Issue PANDA is a newsletter published by Sikkim State ENVIS Hub, Forest and Environment Department, Smt. Kusum Gurung, SFS Published by: Government of Sikkim. This newsletter is aimed at Joint Director (ENVIS/ SPCB/ Sericulture) disseminating environment, forest and wildlife Sikkim State ENVIS Hub Dr. Bharat Kumar Pradhan, Scien fic/Technical information among the public at large and is also Forest and Environment envisaged to serve as a medium of communication Associate, Sikkim Biodiversity Board Department, among foresters and others engaged in nature Dr. Bhoj Kumar Acharya, Associate Professor, conservation in the State. Free and voluntary Department of Zoology, Sikkim University Government of Sikkim contributions for publication in the newsletter may be sent to ENVIS. Compila on & Design: Mr. Rajen Pradhan, Sr. Programme Officer (ENVIS) Electronic version available online SIKKIM STATE ENVIS HUB On Status of Environment & its Related Issues ENVIS team sincerely thanks the resource in ENVIS Sikkim website Forest Secretariat B - Block, Room No.B-101, Ground Floor persons and well-wishers for their h p://www.sikenvis.nic.in Forest and Environment Department, contribu on in this issue. Government of Sikkim, Deorali -737102, Gangtok Quarterly Newsle ers of 2020-21 (Vol 13)
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Co-Coordinator Mrs. Kusum Gurung, SFS Joint Director of Forests (ENVIS and SPCB) Apr-Jun Vol. 13, Issue 1 Jul-Sep Vol. 13, Issue 2 Oct-Dec Vol. 13, Issue 3 Sikkim State ENVIS Hub on Status of Sr. Programme Ofcer Environment publishes newsle er on Mr. Rajen Pradhan quarterly basis with the support from the Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Information Ofcer Change, Government of India. The fourth Mr. Laxuman Darnal quarter publica on is a special annual edi on IT Ofcer / Assistant tled “PANDA” which is published with the Mr. Prem Kumar Pradhan extended support from the Forest and Mrs. Renu Gurung Environment Department, Government of Sikkim. Data Entry Operator Mrs. Tulsha Gurung Please login www.sikenvis.nic.in to download the e-copy
Cover photo: Stork-billed Kingfisher Photo by: Asif Alam of Gangtok, East Sikkim Very first record from Sikkim - Ranikhola (Martam) on 4th March 2021 (1st winner of the WED 2021 Open Photography Contest) ENVIS PUBLICATION 2021 Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya requires alternative refuge for survival: traditionally managed agroecosystem as substitute habitat for conservation
Photo: Common Birdwing. Photo by Prem K. Chhetri
Sailendra Dewan and u erflies (Lepidoptera) represents a diverse group of insects Bhoj Kumar Acharya* with about 18,000 species reported worldwide (IUCN, 2021). BThese scaly wings insects are an important part of ecosystem as they play vital role in pollina on and serves as a source of food for many predators Department of Zoology, like robberfly, dragonfly, frogs, rep les and birds. Bu erflies also have high School of Life Sciences, aesthe c value due to their charisma c nature and are poten ally important taxa Sikkim University, to promote ecotourism. Bu erflies are consistently used as a model organism in 5th Mile Tadong, Gangtok, broad area of scien fic research because their taxonomy is well resolved and are Sikkim- 737102 easy to monitor. More importantly, they are an ideal bioindicators of environmental pollu on, climate change, habitat loss and altera on. Therefore, * Corresponding author bu erflies are deemed as an important focal group for conserva on that serves as [email protected] a surrogate for biodiversity and environmental health. Conserva on efforts [email protected] directed to protect bu erflies in itself ensures the protec on of overall ecosystem.
It has been es mated that over 40% of the insects are declining at a rate eight mes faster than mammals, birds and rep les (Sánchez-Bayo & Wyckhuys, 2019). The major drivers threatening the decline in insects are habitat loss, pollu on, pathogens/invasive species and global climate change. The Lepidoptera along with few other invertebrates (bees and dung-beetles) is regarded to be the most affected taxa in the terrestrial ecosystem (Sánchez-Bayo & Wyckhuys, 2019). Studies have shown that the species richness and abundance of bu erflies are declining at an alarming rate in Europe (van Swaay et al., 2006), the United States (Breed et al., 2012; Forister et al., 2016) and in countries of Asia such as Japan
34 PANDA | Vol. 13 | ISSUE 4 | 2021 (Nakamura, 2011) and Singapore (Theng et al., 2020). Several Many studies have recorded high diversity of bu erflies in bu erflies have also shi ed their range uphill and towards such agroecosystems, e.g. Vietnam (Van Lien & Yuan, 2003), higher la tude since lowland and the tropics have become Costa Rica (Horner- Devine et al.,2003), Japan (Kitahara, increasingly warmer for bu erflies to thrive (Wilson et al., 2004) and USA (Meehan et al., 2012). All these studies have 2007). Thus, there is an urgency to formulate local, regional highlighted the importance of agricultural ecosystems in and cross border conserva on measures in order to conserva on of bu erflies and called for policy interven on safeguard bu erflies. in protec ng these ecosystems.
The effort to conserve biodiversity has generally been India is of the mega diverse na ons and host around 1500 focused on establishment of protected areas (PAs). The PAs species of bu erflies. The bu erflies of India are extremely cons tute about 14.7% of the global terrestrial land (UNEP- threatened by habitat loss and degrada on (Gupta & WCMC, IUCN &NGS, 2018). In addi on to conserva on of Mondal, 2005). Addi onally, the illegal trade has been a biodiversity, the PAs provides essen al ecosystem services to primary threat to bu erflies in India. Gupta & Mondal (2005) the human popula on. The PAs and forest reserves are reports that over 50,000 specimen of bu erfly are smuggled known to be efficient in conserving bu erflies since their out of India every month. Consequently, some species have habitat remains protected (Rada et al., 2018) but many become extremely rare and endangered. One of the species of bu erflies also occur outside PAs, especially in important measures taken by Government of India to protect human modified landscapes (Sharma et al., 2020). Majority these bu erflies is by including them in Schedule List of of the species that occur in human modified landscape does Wildlife Protec on Act (1972). A total of 128 not occur in PAs. However, establishment or expansion of PAs species/subspecies of bu erflies are protected under is not feasible in the human dominated landscape. Therefore, Schedule I (Part IV) and 307 species/subspecies are protected it becomes necessary to direct conserva on measures under Schedule II (Part II) of WPA (1972). A total 123 towards non forested areas, especially agricultural bu erflies have been assigned to na onal Red List Category ecosystems. following the standard norms established by the Interna onal Union for Conserva on of Nature and Natural The agricultural landscape cons tutes about 36.90% of the Resources (IUCN) (Gupta & Modal, 2005). Addi onal total land cover globally (World Bank, 2021). In agricultural important measures considered for bu erfly conserva on is ecosystems, natural biodiversity provides a variety of the establishment of bu erfly parks and conservatories ecosystem services such as pollina on, recycling of nutrients, around various parts of India. However, the landscape level regula on of microclimate and local hydrological processes, suppression of pests and detoxifica on of noxious chemicals, approach for conserva on of bu erflies is s ll lacking in the securing crop protec on and soil fer lity, etc (Al eri, 1999). na on. Though several inventories and studies have shown The management of these agricultural systems can that PAs in India harbor high diversity of bu erflies (Sengupta drama cally affect overall levels of biodiversity, as well as the & Ghorai, 2013; Sethy et al., 2014; Sondhi & Kunte, 2016; sustenance of par cular species. Addi onally, assessment of Dewan et al., 2019), the poten ality of the PAs in biodiversity in agroecosystems and other human dominated conserva on of bu erflies is not fully known. Similarly, very landscapes provides crucial informa on for the management less a en on has been given to understand the conserva on and conserva on of biological resources. In contrary to value of agricultural ecosystem for bu erflies (or any other intensive agriculture, biodiversity friendly agro-ecosystems taxonomic group) in India. The same issue persists in the state are suggested to have high conserva on value (Jose, 2009). of Sikkim as well.
Cherry blossom at Temi Tea Garden, South Sikkim. Photo by Preetam Subba
35 Bu erflies of Sikkim Himalaya: Diversity, threats and (Delias descombesi), Small Grass Yellow (Eurema brigi a), conserva on status. Forest Pierrot (Taraka Hamada), Angled Sunbeam (Cure s dentate), Golden Sapphire (Heliophorus brahma), Metallic Sikkim bu erflies have a racted many naturalists since past two Cerulean (Jamides alecto), etc. centuries. One of the first men ons of bu erflies of Sikkim has been made in Himalayan Journal by Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in the It is learnt that a bu erfly park is being established at year 1855. Since then, considerable inventories and researches on Rangrang, North Sikkim. The park would be of great bu erflies have been undertaken. “The Bu erflies of Sikkim importance for ex-situ conserva on of bu erflies. The Himalaya and their natural history” by Meena Haribal (1992) is s ll landscape level conserva on of bu erflies is ensured by the the most exhaus ve literature on bu erflies of Sikkim. Altogether presence of large area under the protected area network 689 species has been listed in the book. It represents almost 50% of and forest cover. However, in the lowland below 1500 the total species of bu erfly occurring in the Indian subcon nent. A meters eleva on, majority of the forest areas falls under total of 53 species here are protected under Schedule I (Part IV), private holding (mostly under agricultural land). A recent while 164 species falls under Schedule II, Part II of Wildlife research have highlighted that the tradi onally managed Protec on Act, 1972. agroecosystems of Sikkim Himalaya have huge poten al in reten on and conserva on of bu erflies and invites The distribu on of bu erflies in Sikkim Himalaya is determined by immediate conserva on a en on (Sharma et al., 2020). climate, habitat variables and evolu onary history (Acharya & The agroecosystems can even suffice protected areas in Vijayan, 2015; Dewan et al., 2021). The lowland areas of Sikkim terms of conserva on of biodiversity, if managed properly. (<1000 m) supports high diversity of bu erflies due to ambient Such effort will also lead to increase in crop yield. But these clima c condi ons and habitat structure, thus making the agroecosystems are now facing mul ple threats such as (i) “hotspot” of bu erfly diversity. However, the low land forest in the conversion of produc ve lands to pharmaceu cals and Himalaya is also subjected to immense anthropogenic pressures hydro-power projects, (ii) monoculture planta ons of cash (Pandit et al., 2007). Addi onally, the lowland bu erfly community crops or introduc on of exo c crops, (iii) barren land due to being mostly composed of restricted ranged species (those with high labor charge, unavailability of manpower, blooming of very short geographic or eleva onal range) would be severely tourism enterprise, etc (iv) involvement of local people with affected by climate change. In Sikkim, Acharya and Che ri (2012) other easy jobs leading to neglect in agriculture, (v) damage have reported the eleva onal range shi of several bu erflies of crops by wild animals such as wild boar, monkey, peafowl, including Common Birdwing (Troides Helena), Yellow Swallowtail etc. Thus, the conserva on effort would be successful only (Papilio machaon), Red Helen (Papilio helenus), Yellow Helen when agricultural landscape is also priori zed for (Papilio nephelus), Yellow Orange p (Ixias pyrene), Redspot Jezbel conserva on with the involvement of local communi es. Since past few years, effort is being made to document the bu erfly diversity in this landscape and understand their conserva on value.
Agricultural ecosystem and bu erfly conserva on
The agroecosystem in Sikkim Himalaya consists of tradi onally managed organic agricultural landscape interspersed by remnant forest patches. Prominent types of agroecosystem in Sikkim include Large Cardamom Based Agroforestry (LCAS), Farm Based Agroforestry (FAS), Mandarin Orange Based Agroforestry (FAS) and Terrace Rice Cul va on (TRC). These landscapes have high conserva on value and are important for the livelihood of the local community. Agroecosystem, also sustain high diversity of bu erflies and harbors many unique to rare species (Figure 1 & 2). Rediscovery of two very rare species protected under Schedule I of Indian Wildlife (Protec on) Act 1972 from human-modified agro- ecosystems of Sikkim (Rai et al., 2012) suggest that habitat of these bu erflies are s ll preserved in these landscape.
Photo: Small Silverfork. Photo by Prem K. Chhetri
36 Figure 1: Indian Tortoishell (Aglais chashmiriensis), one of the most common species found in agricultural ecosystem of Sikkim Himalaya
Che ri et al. (2018) recorded a total of 44 species (about 6.38% of species reported from Sikkim) of bu erflies from the agro- ecosystem landscape of south Sikkim (Table 1 ). Along with taxonomic diversity, the bu erflies were also highly diverse in specific traits like host plant and habitat u liza on. Sharma et al. (2020) recorded a total 268 species (that cons tutes 39% of total bu erflies in Sikkim) from different agroecosystem gradients in Sikkim Himalaya. The study further reported that about two-third of the bu erflies are forest specialists, one- third monophagous, and one-fi h protected species of conserva on concern. Along the land use gradient, bu erfly Figure 2: Bronze Duke( Euthalia nara) and Banded Royal diversity decreases from agro-forestry system (Mandarin (Rachana jalindra) (Top and bo om) are species found in Orange-based Agroforestry Systems>Farm-based Agroforestry agricultural ecosystems. Both of these species are protected under Schedule II Part II of Wildlife Protec on Act (1972). System >Large Cardamom-based Agroforestry) to forests. A
Table 1: Community parameters along with protec on categories of bu erflies recorded in Sikkim state and agricultural ecosystem of Sikkim Himalaya.
Bu erflies in Sikkim Bu erflies in Agro-ecosystem Himalaya Authors Hariba (1992) Che ri et al. (2018) Sharma et al. (2020) Ongoing study by SU- ATREE under NMHS Landuse System En re Sikkim LCAS, FAS, Forest LCAS, FAS, MOAS, Agroecosystem (LCAS, patches Forest Patches FAS, TRC), Forest Patches. Tea Cul va on and Agro - pastoral ecosystem is also being assessed Species Recorded 689 44 268 176 Abundance - 911 8019 2166 (individuals) Species protected 53 species under - 10 species under 2 species under Schedule under WPA (1972) Schedule I (Part IV), schedule I (Part IV), I (Part IV), 164 species under 32 species under 20 species under Schedule II (Part II) Schedule II (Part II) Schedule (II Part II)
WPA (Wildlife Protec on Act); Large Cardamom Based Agroforestry (LCAS), Farm Based Agroforestry (FAS); Mandarin Orange Based Agroforestry (FAS); Terrace Rice Cul va on (TRC); Sikkim University (SU); Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE); Na onal Mission on Himalayan Studies NMHS
PANDA | Vol. 13 | ISSUE 4 | 2021 37 high turnover of bu erflies between various land use gradient in agroforestry system was recorded indica ng each habitats is associated with unique assemblages of species. Differences in plant species richness, understory coverage, canopy openness and basal area of trees in different habitats were plausible factors that influenced beta diversity of bu erflies in these ecosystems types (Sharma et al., 2020). The study also iden fied 15 species as indicator species of habitat change and have recommended for long term monitoring of these species to assess the health of an ecosystem. The indicator species iden fied by the researchers are Common Hedge Blue (Actyolepis puspa), Spangled Plushblue (Flos asoka) Indigo Flash (Rapala varuna), Blue Spo ed Crow (Euploea midamus), Common Yeoman (Cirrochroa tyche), French Duke (Euthalia fancia), Indian Tortoiseshell (Aglias caschmirensis), Common Red Forester (Lethe mekara), Straight Banded Treebrown (Lethe verma),Common Three-ring( Ypthima asterope), Paris Peacock (Papilio polytes), Common Mormon (Papilio polytes), Large Cabbage White (Pieris brassicae), Spot Judy (Abisara chela) and Tailed Judy (Abisara nephron).
At present, we are involved in undertaking a large scale study of bu erflies in socio-ecological landscape of Sikkim- Darjeeling Himalaya. During the course of the study we have recorded 176 Photo: Yellow Jezebel. Photo by Prem K. Chhetri species of bu erflies from three major ecosystem types which also includes including 22 Schedule list bu erflies (Wildlife Protec on monoculture planta on, migra on of farmers to urban Act, 1972). The assessment shows that there are high turnover of areas, human wildlife conflict as highlighted above. bu erflies between various agricultural ecosystem types and Therefore, direc ng conserva on efforts to protect this surrounding forest areas indica ng that the agricultural landscape crucial ecosystem is of outmost importance at present. A act as a refuge for diverse group of bu erfly assemblages. Further rigorous policy that addresses both the socio-economic sampling and assessment of habitat predictor variables would challenges and nature conserva on needs to be formulated provide a greater insight in understanding the efficiency of for the long term protec on of the tradi onally tradi onally managed agricultural landscape in reten on and agroecosystem in the Sikkim Himalaya. conserva on of bu erflies Acknowledgements Conclusion We thank Na onal Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) The landscape mosaics in the agricultural ecosystems create for funding our studies on biodiversity of agro-ecosystem of diverse habitats that facilitate unique assemblages of bu erflies. Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalaya (NMHS-2017/MG-01/447). We More importantly, the forest patches in the agricultural landscape are grateful to Lt. R S Rawal (former Director) and Er. Kireet acts as a safe refuge for various forest specialist bu erflies. The Kumar, current Director and Nodal Officer, NMHS-PMU, G B heterogeneous habitats in these landscapes contribute to the Pant Na onal Ins tute of Himalayan Environment for overall regional diversity of various biodiversity components facilita ng the research project and Vice Chancellor, Sikkim including bu erflies in the Sikkim Himalaya. Moreover, the University for providing facili es to undertake research agroecosystem harbors several conserva on priority bu erflies work in the above men oned subject. We also thank Forest that need immediate conserva on ac ons. Although primary and Environment Department, Government of Sikkim for forests are an essen al en ty of biodiversity conserva on, these gran ng research permit, Ashoka Trust for Research in landscape can complement the forested areas in conserva on of Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Eastern Himalaya and bu erflies where primary forest coverage is low and protected Sikkim Biodiversity Board for collabora on, and field areas are minimal, especially in the lowland areas. However, the assistant and local communi es for support during the field agroecosystem faces mul ple problems such as land conversion, work.
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