The butterflies of Borneo’s Upper Barito Watershed: A preliminary checklist and remarks on the importance of community managed forests in sustaining diversity
Abstract
The hill and montane rainforests of central Borneo harbour high levels of biodiversity, including many threatened and endemic species. However, this region has been explored far more by extractive industry than scientists. To establish a baseline for biodiversity in the Murung Raya region of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, butterflies were surveyed during the dry season of 2011. Species lists presented here are the first of their kind for the upper reaches of the Murung River. Further study is necessary from additional seasons and localities to form a comprehensive understanding of the region’s butterfly fauna. Nevertheless, amidst ongoing landscape-wide change to this region, our preliminary results indicate the value of community-managed forests as refugia for sustaining biodiversity.