The fourth annual Butterfly and Biodiversity Trail concluded with the documentation of 165 butterfly species, including 37 endangered species, across rainforest locations associated with Dihing Patkai National Park and nearby landscapes.

Key Highlights

• The four-day trail covered Jaipur, Deomali in Arunachal Pradesh, and the Lakhipathar and Saraipung ranges, providing an opportunity to document the region’s rich rainforest biodiversity.
• On the first day at Jaipur, more than 60 butterfly species were recorded, including seven endangered species, along with sightings of capped langurs.
• The survey in the Deomali Range of Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, recorded around 57 species, including six endangered species.
• At Siring Mamoroni village under the Lakhipathar range, around 68 species were recorded, including seven endangered species.
• The final survey at Saraipung range recorded around 78 species, taking the overall survey tally to more than 263 species across the trail locations. The reported figure of 165 endangered/new species should therefore be understood in the context of the article’s separate location-wise and overall counts.

Why is Butterfly Diversity Important?

• Butterflies are important ecological indicators because their presence and abundance can reflect changes in habitat quality, vegetation and environmental conditions.
• The trail combined biodiversity documentation with environmental awareness and ecotourism, helping students and local participants understand the importance of rainforest ecosystems.
• Participation by students from institutions including Gauhati University, Dibrugarh University and Tingkhong College helped connect biodiversity conservation with environmental education.
• Such citizen-oriented biodiversity surveys can contribute to species documentation, conservation awareness and sustainable ecotourism in the Northeast.

Dehing Patkai National Park 

• Dehing Patkai National Park is located in Upper Assam, mainly across Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
• It is popularly known as the “Amazon of the East” and represents one of India’s important lowland tropical rainforest landscapes.
• It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2004 and was upgraded to a National Park in June 2021.
• The National Park covers about 111.19 sq. km, while the broader Dehing Patkai landscape covers nearly 575 sq. km.
• The region receives very high rainfall, averaging around 4,000 millimetres annually, supporting its dense tropical rainforest ecosystem.

Biodiversity

• The park records around 47 mammal species, 47 reptile species, 301 butterfly species and 293 bird species.
• Important fauna include Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian Elephant, Himalayan Black Bear, Hoolock Gibbon, Slow Loris, Capped Langur, Indian Leopard, Gaur, Clouded Leopard, Sambar and Barking Deer.
• Important birds include White-winged Wood Duck, Great Indian Hornbill, Brown Hornbill, Hill Myna, Osprey and Greater and Lesser Adjutants.

Ecological Importance

• The landscape is dominated by rainforest trees such as Hollong, Nahar and Meloni.
• The landscape supports several indigenous communities, including Singphos, Tai Phakes, Tai Khamyangs, Tai Ahoms, Khamtis, Morans and Chutias, along with Nepali and tea-garden communities.

Exam Hook – Prelims

Consider the following statements:

1. Butterflies can serve as indicators of ecosystem and habitat health.
2. Dihing Patkai is an important rainforest landscape of Assam.
3. Biodiversity documentation has no relevance to conservation planning.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer: 1 and 2 only.

One-line takeaway: The Dihing Patkai trail shows how biodiversity documentation, environmental education and responsible ecotourism can work together to strengthen rainforest conservation in Northeast India.