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Sing KW, Luo J, Wang W, Jaturas N, Soga M, Yang X, Dong H, Wilson JJ. Ring roads and urban biodiversity: distribution of butterflies in urban parks in Beijing city and correlations with other indicator species. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7653. [PMID: 31113976 PMCID: PMC6529450 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43997-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The capital of China, Beijing, has a history of more than 800 years of urbanization, representing a unique site for studies of urban ecology. Urbanization can severely impact butterfly communities, yet there have been no reports of the species richness and distribution of butterflies in urban parks in Beijing. Here, we conducted the first butterfly survey in ten urban parks in Beijing and estimated butterfly species richness. Subsequently, we examined the distribution pattern of butterfly species and analyzed correlations between butterfly species richness with park variables (age, area and distance to city center), and richness of other bioindicator groups (birds and plants). We collected 587 individual butterflies belonging to 31 species from five families; 74% of the species were considered cosmopolitan. The highest butterfly species richness and abundance was recorded at parks located at the edge of city and species richness was significantly positively correlated with distance from city center (p < 0.05). No significant correlations were detected between the species richness and park age, park area and other bioindicator groups (p > 0.05). Our study provides the first data of butterfly species in urban Beijing, and serves as a baseline for further surveys and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kong-Wah Sing
- South China DNA Barcoding Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China.
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China.
| | - Jiashan Luo
- Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
| | - Wenzhi Wang
- South China DNA Barcoding Center, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650223, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
- Wildlife Forensic Science Service, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China
- Guizhou Academy of Testing and Analysis, Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Narong Jaturas
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, 65000, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Masashi Soga
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xianzhe Yang
- International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Hui Dong
- Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen and Chinese Academy of Sciences, 518004, Shenzhen, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - John-James Wilson
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, 65000, Phitsanulok, Thailand.
- International College Beijing, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P. R. China.
- Vertebrate Zoology at World Museum, National Museums Liverpool, William Brown Street, L3 8EN, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
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