Patterns of butterfly, bird and tree diversity in the Western Ghats

摘要

Butterfly assemblages were censused along 67 transects, each 600 m in length, in 15 localities and 8 vegetation types in the Western Ghats, India. The natural vegetation types had relatively high diversities, compared to anthropogenically-influencedvegetation types, such as scrub/savanna and grasslands. Home gardens and paddy fields had very distinctive species compositions, coupled with very low levels of beta diversity. Their constituent species were more widespread. These patterns were comparedwith those for trees and birds reported in previous studies. Species dissimilarity in evergreen vegetation types was high for trees and butterflies, but low for birds. Bird and butterfly assemblages in monoculture tree plantations had low species richness, less distinctiveness and high levels of dissimilarity, being comprised of rather widespread species. However, there was generally little relation between taxonomic groups and vegetation types across diversity parameters. These patterns of diversity dispersion and their co-variation across taxonomic groups may have important implications for assigning conservation priorities. It is concluded that classification of landscapes on the basis of structural vegetation types, followed by stratified samplingof multiple groups of organisms, is essential for monitoring the status of, and designing conservation strategies for, biodiversity.