Research

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Title :

Diversity and Distribution Pattern of Ground-Dwelling spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) along the Elevation Gradients in Meghalaya

Area of research :

Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Principal Investigator :

Dr. souvik sen, Zoological survey Of India, West Bengal

Timeline Start Year :

2024

Timeline End Year :

2027

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

The present study proposes an extensive survey on the diversity and distribution of ground-dwelling spiders along the elevation gradients of Meghalaya. The region is a part of the Indo-Myanmar biodiversity hotspot, which has a diverse range of physiographic and ecoclimatic conditions. The current study focuses on ground-dwelling spiders, which are often regarded as the most diverse and numerically abundant group of predatory arthropods. Their high density, diversity, and ease of collection make them an effective environmental monitoring tool in almost all ecosystems. The true diversity and distribution of ground-dwelling spiders in the region is still unclear due to inadequate sampling. Therefore, extensive surveys and studies are required to discover and understand the actual diversity of such ground inhabiting spiders found in Meghalaya. The proposed study will be a pioneering work on the diversity, distribution, guild structure and altitudinal variation of ground-dwelling spiders in Meghalaya, which will serve as a foundation for future research in this area. This research project also aims to reduce the taxonomic ambiguity among the closely related taxa through molecular studies.

Total Budget (INR):

29,82,210

Organizations involved