Predicting minimum area requirements of butterflies using life-history traits

Abstract

The minimum area requirement (MAR) of a species is the amount of functional habitat necessary for population persistence. The accurate measurement of MAR in the field usually requires long and precise investigations of all resources used by the target organism. Here we tested if MAR could be predicted by body size and species-specific life-history traits. Using values of MAR collected on European butterflies, we related MAR to 17 life-history traits plus wing size (a correlate of body size). We show that four life-history traits and wing size were significantly related with MAR in European butterflies. Compared to a model with wing size only, the inclusion of these four traits (myrmecophily, thermal tolerance, mate searching strategy, and ovigeny) more than doubled the power of the predictions of MAR. Our study provides a first step towards a predictive theory of species spatial requirements, with strong applications in conservation biology.