Butterfly survey spots 98 species at Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

Forest department officials, voluntary conservationists and researchers have initiated a three-stage butterfly survey at Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

Pune: In a pioneering effort to unravel the intricate tapestry of biodiversity within the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, the forest department officials, voluntary conservationists and researchers have initiated a three-stage butterfly survey.

Forest department officials, voluntary conservationists and researchers have initiated a three-stage butterfly survey at Sahyadri Tiger Reserve. (HT)

According to the forest department, the study has till date recorded 98 butterfly species and the third phase data is still under scrutiny.

The project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of butterfly species, their habitats, and the factors influencing populations within the verdant landscapes of the Western Ghats. Although the total number of species found in the survey has not been disclosed, the declared data reveals rare species like Malabar Banded Peacock, Tamil Lacewing, and Crimson Rose. Blue Mormon, Malabar Banded Peacock, Common Map butterflies have won the first beauty spot after Chocolate Pansy, Lemmon Pansy and Blue Pansy.

Uttam Savant, deputy director of Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) and the lead overseeing the survey, said, “The survey is the first initiative in Sahyadri and has received good response. The three-stage campaign is a holistic approach to understanding and preserving biodiversity. Butterflies are indicators of environmental health, and their conservation is integral to the overall well-being of ecosystem.”

The Maharashtra forest department for the first time conducted an exercise to count butterflies in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) spread over four districts of Satara (Mahabaleshwar, Medha, Satara, and Patan tehsils), Sangli (Shirala tehsil), Kolhapur (Shauwadi tehsil) and Ratnagiri (Sangameshwar, Chiplun, and Khed tehsils).

The survey is conducted in three phases — November 3 to November 5, November 17 to November 19 and November 24 to November 26, 2023. The result of present survey was released on Friday (December 8).

Around 40 enthusiasts from across Maharashtra participated in the survey comprising 10-15 km walk for two days. The forest officials analysed the data collected during the survey, said M Ramanujam, field director, Sahyadri Tiger Reserve.

“The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve management is grateful for the collaborative efforts of researchers and local communities involved in the groundbreaking survey. The insights gained from the study are expected to shape conservation policies, enhancing the reserve’s commitment to safeguarding the unique biodiversity of the Western Ghats,” said Ramanujam

Vital study

Butterflies have short life cycles and react quickly to environmental changes. Their limited dispersal ability, larval foodplant specialisation, and close reliance on weather and climate make many of their species sensitive to fine-scale changes. Moreover, butterflies maintain the ecosystem by acting as pollinators, prey, biological pest control, inducing genetic variation in plants, enhancing environmental beauty, and reducing the level of carbon dioxide in the air. A good number of butterflies in a particular area indicates that biodiversity conservation is going in the right direction. Therefore, the survey is significant for understanding the conservation work in STR and also for documenting the biodiversity of the area, according to a forest department official.