Research Article

Correlations of Rainfall and Forest Type with Papilionid Assemblages in Assam in Northeast India

Table 1

Characteristics of the five study sites selected for butterfly sampling.

Study sitesGeographical positionArea in hectaresHabitat type and landscape elementAltitude (m) above MSLLevel and type of human disturbance

S126° 0 5 2 6 . 7 1 –91° 4 6 3 9 . 0 1 15Mixed moist deciduous secondary Sal forest with good cover of grasses102Partially disturbed human settlement, earth cutting, small wood collection
S226° 0 3 4 6 . 4 9 –91° 4 3 4 1 . 5 6 5Mixed-moist deciduous secondary forest with intermittent tracts of Bamboo brakes. Closed canopy with trees > 20 m in height. Abundance of climbers130Partially disturbed stone ecouarrying, earth cutting, selective logging
S326° 0 1 3 9 . 1 8 –91° 3 9 0 3 . 9 1 5Secondary euphorbiaceous scrub with grasses growing up to 10–15 cm on the rocky slopes and hills in the areas near to the abandoned patches of shifting cultivation170Heavily disturbed (shifting cultivation, illegal logging)
S426° 0 1 5 2 . 2 0 –91° 3 5 5 1 . 3 2 10Degraded secondary deciduous forest edge with teak plantation, Sal regeneration, cropland, household plantation, shrubs and grasses, and scrubland100Heavily disturbed (teak plantation, selective logging, grazing, road construction, human settlements)
S526° 0 4 4 9 . 7 7 –91° 4 0 0 3 . 0 7 15Secondary mixed deciduous forest near human settlement60Heavily disturbed (forest village, selective logging, intensive grazing)