Ecological Assessment of Butterfly Communities Across Different Habitat Types in Sariska National Park, Rajasthan

Abstract

Butterflies are important ecological indicators because their distribution, abundance and community composition are strongly influenced by habitat characteristics, vegetation structure and resource availability. The present study evaluates habitat-specific patterns of butterfly communities in Sariska National Park, Rajasthan, India. Five major habitat types, including forest edge, scrub forest, grassland, riparian patch and open sunny habitat, were assessed using abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson diversity, Pielou evenness, Bray–Curtis similarity analysis and statistical comparisons. The results revealed variations in butterfly community structure among different habitats, with riparian patches and forest edges supporting higher diversity due to greater moisture availability, vegetation complexity and resource availability. Species-level analysis indicated habitat preferences among butterfly taxa, with different groups associated with specific ecological conditions. Transect-wise assessment showed similar patterns, highlighting the importance of fixed-route monitoring for biodiversity assessment. The findings demonstrate that habitat heterogeneity plays a crucial role in maintaining butterfly diversity and emphasize the need for conserving multiple complementary habitats for effective butterfly conservation in semi-arid protected landscapes.