The Butterflies of Kon Ka Kinh National Park: Diversity, Ecology and Conservation

2 Feb 2018 Kon Ka Kinh National Park, Vietnam, Asia Biodiversity | Invertebrates

Pham Nhat Tan

The project proposed will extend our knowledge on faunistic, taxonomical, biogeographical, ecological and conservation aspects of the local butterflies. The project monitoring value will be in providing a new comparative data demonstrating changes occurring from the last butterfly survey undertaking in 1999.

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Kon Ka Kinh was established on Decision No. 194/CT of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, August 1986. Subsequently, Kon Ka Kinh was upgraded to national park status, November 2002. The park is one of five heritage Asian parks in Vietnam. The national park is belonged to Gia Lai province and situated on the Kon Tum plateau in the central part of Truong Son Mountains.

During only one-month survey in 1999 conducted by the BirdLife International, there were discovered seven butterfly species unknown to science (Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2003, 2016). Unfortunately, since 1999 there were not organized any additional surveys that may be extended our knowledge on faunistic, biogeographical, ecological and conservation aspects of this geographically isolated area. Perhaps, a new survey will monitor a new evidence on climatic changes in tropical region.

Fieldwork will be carried out in total around 55 days. The duration of the field research period will include 45 days for working in the field sites, 4 days for transportation, 2 days to work with Kon Ka Kinh national park, and 4 days of providing against bad weather (rain/ windy).

The data on butterfly assemblages were collected using the transect method described by Pollard et al. (1975) and modified by Spitzer et al. (1993). One full observation included one pass. The observation was executed out along each transect at a speed of approximately 20 m per min, and all observed butterflies were recorded.

The project proposed will extend our knowledge on faunistic, taxonomical, biogeographical, ecological and conservation aspects of the local butterflies. The project monitoring value will be in providing a new comparative data demonstrating changes occurring from the last butterfly survey undertaking in 1999.

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