The Arfak Mountains have the richest diversity of endemic species in the world. This also includes the presence of dragonflies. According to the study, this mountainous area in West Papua has the largest dragonfly species in the world. Interestingly, dragonflies are one of the wealth of fauna in Papua and are helpful as an environmental assessment. Here’s the information!
Dragonfly In Conservation Area
Papua has high species diversity and endemism. One of the locations that save variety is the Arfak Mountains. The location is a small mountain range located in the Bird’s Head which is considered an important area for biodiversity conservation in Indonesia. Then, in 1982, the national government declared the mountains as a Nature Reserve.
The Arfak Mountains are a conservation area because they have a high concentration of biodiversity and are endemic there. Unfortunately, since this declaration, only limited action has been taken to manage conservation effectively. The trend of infrastructure development continuing without proper resource management will result in the loss of many species.
Habitat change is by far the main threat to some species in Papua. One of them is Odonata and damselflies, which are less well known in the Papua region but are excellent bioindicators with many species. Moreover, a high proportion of endemic odonates in West Papua have a known distribution.
An example of a locally endemic odonate species in the Arfak Mountains is the red and black damselfly Palaiargia ernstmayer. This species has the use of odonates as an indicator of environmental change. So, the diversity and knowledge of the Odonata fauna of the Arfak Mountains need special attention. This is because the Odonata habitat dominates in several locations in the Arfak Mountains.
Benefits of Dragonflies in Ecosystem
Talking about odonate, you will think about the beauty of their wings and colors. More than that, dragonflies have a very close relationship with their habitat. Many kinds of dragonflies are in open space habitats. In addition, some dragonflies are very dependent on shade habitats – hardwood, diverse vegetation, and good air quality.
Dragonflies in the shade will never meet in the open. On the other hand, dragonflies in the open space can adapt to various habitat characteristics – both closed and open. Actually, when talking about dragonflies as an indicator or environmental assessment in West Papua, it refers to the dragonflies that live in the shade.
This is because they are very dependent on a variety of vegetation diversity, good air quality, and good water. So, not all dragonflies can be helpful for environmental assessment. However, some species indicate whether a habitat has good natural conditions or not. In addition, there are other functions of dragonfly species for the environment in terms of predators.
If the function is predatory, dragonflies control the balance of the environment, insects and pests. Dragonflies are the top group of insect predators, better known as insect controllers. Leafhoppers, flies, fruit flies, mosquitoes, and some bugs are also the leading food of dragonflies. In addition, small leaf-eating insects are also eaten by dragonflies.
Even so, there is still a food chain above the dragonfly, namely the Robber fly. But the problem is, the robber fly always eats the needle dragonfly. But the robber fly will also be eaten by a giant dragonfly. Dragonflies are significantly effective as pest control when playing an ecological function in agricultural spaces. This provides a distinct advantage for agriculture in the Arfak Mountains region.
Characteristics of Dragonfly Species in the Arfak Mountains
There are at least twenty-one species from seven species families in West Papua. The most species-rich family is Libellulidae, with ten species represented, two of which are Orthetrum glaucum and vilosovitattum. The research location was conducted in the lowlands to Mount Arfak (about 1700 m above sea level). In terms of habitat preferences, dragonflies have some of the best.
Dragonflies like areas with lots of standing water and open forests. Many species live in the mountainous region of Arfak, such as Hijou and Uyhegbrik. Even though Hijou had more species than Uyehegbrik, there were likely many more species that were more diverse. Odonata Diversity Index in habitat depends on the area of life.
In terms of temperature and habitat abundance, dragonflies have their characteristics. Temperature also has an essential role in species and overall numbers. Between the temperature of 26-34 Celsius, dragonflies gather a lot. The correlation between the number of dragonflies gathered with temperature showed significant results.
Diversity of Odonata has low-medium diversity. Many of the species recorded are species widely distributed in mountainous areas. Dragonfly species are found in more pristine areas of the forest. This is because there are few species in the lowlands as in their natural habitat. However, this shows that the dragonfly species in West Papua are very diverse.
Overall, there is a wealth of fauna in the Arfak region, including dragonfly species. In fact, not many people know that dragonflies have a significant role in environmental assessments. Dragonflies act as the highest predator among insects and pests. This can maintain the balance of habitat and environment in mountainous areas.
