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Altitudinal gradients and species richness: A study on diversity of orthoptera in Nilgiris Shola Forests and Grasslands


Affiliations
1 Chemistry and Bioprospecting Division, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore – 641002, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Division of Germplasm, Conservation and Utilization, National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru – 560064, Karnataka, India
 

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Uplands provide refuge for insects subject to lowland habitat loss, but information on their response to climate change is lacking particularly orthopterans. There is a significant reduction in the diversity of grasshoppers however a shift of highly mobile and polyphagous insects towards higher altitudes is prevalent, in the era of climate change. Our study on the diversity of grasshoppers in the Nilgiris shola forest supported that the shift of grasshopper from mid-altitude to high altitude. The high values of Shannon’s diversity index (H’) were recorded in Nedugula (1.43) followed by Longwood (1.34) and Avalanche shola forests (1.29). The species distributed only in lowland forests are now recorded in the high altitudinal stunted wet evergreen shola forests. It is evident from our study that the upland forests provide refuges to highly mobile insects like grasshoppers when lowland sites have an impact on climatic fluctuations.

Keywords

Altitude, Conservation, Diversity, Orthoptera.
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  • Altitudinal gradients and species richness: A study on diversity of orthoptera in Nilgiris Shola Forests and Grasslands

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Authors

Divya Govindaraj
Chemistry and Bioprospecting Division, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore – 641002, Tamil Nadu, India
Natchiappan Senthikumar
Chemistry and Bioprospecting Division, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore – 641002, Tamil Nadu, India
Senthamarai Selvan Periyasamy
Division of Germplasm, Conservation and Utilization, National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru – 560064, Karnataka, India

Abstract


Uplands provide refuge for insects subject to lowland habitat loss, but information on their response to climate change is lacking particularly orthopterans. There is a significant reduction in the diversity of grasshoppers however a shift of highly mobile and polyphagous insects towards higher altitudes is prevalent, in the era of climate change. Our study on the diversity of grasshoppers in the Nilgiris shola forest supported that the shift of grasshopper from mid-altitude to high altitude. The high values of Shannon’s diversity index (H’) were recorded in Nedugula (1.43) followed by Longwood (1.34) and Avalanche shola forests (1.29). The species distributed only in lowland forests are now recorded in the high altitudinal stunted wet evergreen shola forests. It is evident from our study that the upland forests provide refuges to highly mobile insects like grasshoppers when lowland sites have an impact on climatic fluctuations.

Keywords


Altitude, Conservation, Diversity, Orthoptera.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.26515/rzsi%2Fv121%2Fi4%2F2021%2F157081