Butterfly Abundance Research Articles

Monitoring of Butterfly Abundance in the Urban Forests of Cibubur Arboretum and University of Indonesia

Research related to biodiversity that was carried out regularly could be part of monitoring activities to see changes in butterfly populations in an area. Butterflies have a role as environmental bioindicators that were commonly found in various places. Urban forests such as the Cibubur Arboretum and the University of Indonesia were mini conservation sites that were habitats for butterflies. The purpose of this study was to monitor changes in butterfly abundance in the urban forest of Cibubur Arboretum and UI. This research was conducted in 2014 and 2021. This observation was carried out by purposive sampling method. Each urban forest was divided into 3 different stations consisting of 2 plots (20 x 20 m), and repeated 3 times on each plot with an interval of 1 week using a sweeping net and camera. Observations were carried out for 1 hour on each plots. The total observations of butterflies in both urban forests were 18 times. Individual butterflies found in 2014 in the Urban Forest Arboretum Cibubur (339) individuals, and the year 2021 (232) individuals. in the UI City Forest in 2014 898 individuals were found and 269 individuals in 2021. Nymphalidae family was the family with the highest number of individuals found in 2014 and 2021. The individual species found in 2014, included in the category of sporadic, subrecedent, recedent, subdominant and dominant. Meanwhile, the butterfly species found at the study site were categorized into Sub-recedent, Recedent, and Sub-dominant groups in 2021. Differences in vegetation, changes in use, and anthropogenic disturbances could affect changes in butterfly observations.

Declines of bees and butterflies over 15 years in a forested landscape

Despite growing concerns about pollinator declines,1,2,3,4 evidence that this is a widespread problem affecting entire communities remains limited.5 There is a particular shortage of pollinator time series from relatively undisturbed natural habitats, such as forests, which are generally thought to provide refuge to biodiversity from anthropogenic stressors.6 Here, we present the results from standardized pollinator sampling over 15 years (2007-2022) at three relatively undisturbed forested locations in the southeastern United States. We observed significant declines in the richness (39%) and abundance (62.5%) of bees as well as the abundance of butterflies (57.6%) over this time period. Unexpectedly, we detected much stronger declines in the richness and abundance of above-ground-nesting bees (81.1% and 85.3%, respectively) compared with below-ground-nesting bees. Even after dropping the first or last year of sampling, which happened to yield the greatest and lowest numbers of pollinators, respectively, we still detected many of the same negative trends. Our results suggest that sharp declines in pollinators may not be limited to areas experiencing direct anthropogenic disturbances. Possible drivers in our system include increasing mean annual minimum temperatures near our study sites as well as an invasive wood-nesting ant that has become increasingly widespread and abundant in the region over the course of this study.

Abundance and diversity of butterfly in the Lombok Forest Park, Indonesia

Abstract. Ilhamdi ML, Al Idrus A, Santoso D, Hadiprayitno G, Syazali M, Hariyadi I. 2023. Abundance and diversity of butterfly in the Lombok Forest Park, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 688-695. The lack of studies on butterflies on Lombok Island has prevented the biology and ecology of this insect group from being widely known. Further, the absence of data on insect communities impacts conservation management, especially that of the Lombok Island Forest Park. Insects can only be effectively managed for conservation by knowing their basic biology and ecology, yet almost nothing about the butterflies on Lombok Island has previously been quantified. This study aims to analyze the abundance and diversity of butterflies in the Forest Park of Lombok Island, Indonesia. The research was carried out from January to July 2022. Further, the samples were collected from three habitat types: waterways, forest middle lanes, and forest edge lanes. Butterfly data collection was carried out on the left and right of each line that became the transect. During this period, 1524 individuals from 42 butterfly species were collected. The most abundant species was Jamides celeno (Ra: 7.54%), while the species with the lowest abundance was Lampides boeticus (Ra: 0.26). The abundance of other species ranged from 0.45% to 6.95%. The results of the analysis show that the diversity of the butterflies in Lombok Island Forest Park is quite high in each of the habitat types surveyed. The data from this research can be used to design and implement conservation management, especially for butterflies.

Temporal Variation in Abundance and Distribution of Butterflies in a Southern Nigerian National Park

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the butterfly diversity in Okomu National Park, Nigeria in order to make available information on butterfly species in this protected area. Background: Butterflies are a taxonomically important group for predicting the health of the environment. Objective: In order to establish butterfly abundance and distribution in Okomu National Park, a temporal variation study was conducted for a period of twenty-four months (July 2012 to June 2014). Methods: Eight transects (Disturbed habitat (DIS), Forest Edge/Plantation (FE/P), Moderately Open Forest (MOF), Forest Along Road/Moist Patches (FAR/MP), Riparian Habitat (RIP), Closed Canopy (CC), Shrub (SHR) and Grassland (GRA) were mapped out from the four ranges (Igwonwan, Arakhuan, Julius Creek and Babui) using visual level of disturbance and degree of canopy closure for transect walk, butterfly net and baited trap methods of butterfly sampling. Environmental variables (temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall) were concurrently sampled with butterflies. Results: A total of 143 species and 6,310 individuals of butterflies were obtained from the families; Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Hesperiidae. Nymphalid (3103: 49.2%) and Pieridae (2269: 36.0%) predominated and Hesperiidae was recorded lowest (8: 0.1%). Significant differences were observed in the abundance of butterflies in the transects (p< 0.05). Rainfall was positively correlated with butterfly abundance. Butterfly abundance was higher in rainy season compared to dry season except in RIP where a reverse trend was observed. Abundance was higher in FAR/MP (1633: 25.9%) and MOF (1251: 19.8%) compared to other transects, and was lowest in SHR (295: 4.7%). Conclusion: It can be concluded that butterflies in Okomu forest is abundant and stable, and as such continuous effort is required to conserve butterfly flora and fauna in this park.

Standardized butterfly surveys: comparing transect counts and area-time counts in insect monitoring

The observed insect decline, which threatens agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability, calls for comprehensive international insect monitoring. Monitoring implementation demands standardisation and the integration of new and innovative methods. Therefore, we compared two quantitative butterfly survey methods – the commonly applied transect counts (or ‘Pollard walks’) and more extensive area-time counts. We evaluated the influence of the two methods on the estimation of biodiversity variables such as species richness and species abundance to examine whether they could be applied alternatively for the calculation of butterfly trend indicators. During 576 surveys we conducted 5-minute transect counts and 25-minute area-time counts simultaneously at 144 different sites in Western Austria. The estimated relative butterfly abundance of the two methods for 119 observed species showed a strong linear relationship. While we found 2.4 times more species per site with the more extensive area-time counts than with the transect counts, we also observed a strong correlation between estimates of local abundance (Pearson’s r = 0.85) and observed species richness (Pearson’s r = 0.81) based on the two methods. Area-time counts provide thorough assessments on a given location, enabling a close connection to specific habitat types and facilitating comparability with other plot-based biodiversity assessments. They are more suitable than transect counts when aiming to analyse the drivers of temporal and spatial variability in butterfly occurrence. Furthermore, area-time counts can be used synergistically for the calculation of international butterfly abundance trends (e.g., European butterfly indicators), as we found strong linear relationships for all applied indicators with both methods.

Diversity of butterflies across three land use types of Chebera Churchura National Park and its surroundings, Southwestern Ethiopia

Understanding and identifying butterfly species in various land uses serves a crucial eco-logical function in protecting biodiversity and improving environmental policy decisions. However, such a study on the diversity of butterflies from different land use types in and around Chebera Churchura Na-tional Park, southwestern Ethiopia, is extremely lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to quantify the species richness and abundance of butterflies in the Chebera Churchura National Park and its surroundings, which are prioritized for their conservation. Data was collected from January 2021 to June 2021 following the line transect method in the three habitat types using a standard insect net. In total, 2118 individuals representing 79 species and 38 genera belonging to five families were recorded. The Nymphalidae were the most dominant butterfly family, accounting for 45 species (57%) of the total butterflies observed, while the Heaspariidae contributed the least. Among the 79 species, 9 were very common, 32 were common, 37 were rare, and 1 was very rare. Based on butterfly species richness and composition, riverine forest had the greatest diversity and abundance with 65 species and 1028 individuals, and the least species composition was recorded in mosaic habitat with 26 species and 350 individuals, and the difference in diversity was significant. The study region was generally found to be rich in the diversity and abundance of butterflies in all three forms of land use. However, the study area is currently becoming an investment hub, and many road development projects are being planned. Ongoing human activities will devastate and harm the richness, abundance, and diversity of butterfly species. As a result, such human-induced activities need to be carefully studied to protect biodiversity.

Preliminary studies on butterfly fauna of Narmada Nagar town, Dist. Khandwa M.P

Butterflies are highly diverse animals and most studied group of insects. Butterflies are easily identified and very useful to biodiversity survey, they are very sensitive and severely affected by environmental fluctuations. The Indian subcontinent bearing a diverse climate and host vegetations which gives support to nearly 1500 species of butterflies. Since eighteen century so many studies on butterflies have done in different parts of globe. According to different studies the population of butterflies and other insects is declining day by day, the diversity of butterflies was recorded in Narmada Nagar town dist. Khandwa during august 2022 to October 2022. A total of 621 individuals belong to 35 species from 4 families i.e. Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Lycanidae and Pieridae. Family nymphalidae was found dominant with 22 species while only 3 species recorded from family pieridae, both Lycanidae and papilionidae families represented by 5 species each, grass yellow, common crow and lime pansy were found dominant species with highest number of individuals during the study period, the dominance of these species was because of presence of their larval host plants in this area. . No previous studies were done in this area that’s why we cannot calculate whether the butterfly fauna of this area is increasing or decreasing; the present study is the first attempt to determine the status and distribution of butterflies which were dwelling in and around the town Narmada Nagar, during the study period higher species richness and abundance of butterflies were recorded in the month of September while least number of butterflies was recorded in July.

Butterfly Diversity in Relation to Human-Impact Gradient in Outskirts of Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Anthropogenic activities may affect species diversity and community structure. Butterfly species diversity in relation to human-impact gradient was evaluated in the Baruipur subdivision, outskirts of Kolkata metropolis, West Bengal, India as a model geographic area. Four study sites situated in bird sanctuaries, rural, suburban and urban areas with different levels of anthropogenic disturbances were selected to assess the human impact on butterfly diversity. A total of 80 butterfly species were recorded during the entire study period with the sanctuary (with minimal anthropogenic disturbance) showing the highest species richness (73) followed by rural (62), suburban (54) and urban (36) study sites indicating a strong negative impact of anthropogenic disturbance on butterfly species diversity. Butterfly species diversity varied significantly among different habitats (p ˂ 0.001). The relative abundance of butterflies also varied seasonally. It is apparent that the area under the present study is able to sustain diverse butterfly species provided natural habitats are protected from anthropogenic disturbances and steps are taken to increase urban greenery to support butterfly diversity and consequent ecosystem services.

Community Structure in an Isolated Tropical Forest Biome: One Year of Fruit-Feeding Butterfly Trapping in Four Habitats in the Western Ghats, India

Insect communities in tropical forests tend to be structured vertically and with respect to tree fall gaps and edges. Furthermore, insect communities vary over time. Insight into such habitat specificity and temporal variation is needed to design and interpret biodiversity surveys and to compare conservation value among habitats. Some aspects of tropical insect community structure, such as the proportion of canopy specialists and temporal variation, vary among biogeographical regions and climatic zones. To date, few regions have been sampled systematically, so generalization remains difficult. We compared fruit-feeding butterfly communities among understory, canopy, natural treefalls, and forest edge, in a tropical forest of the Western Ghats, a strip of rainforest that is isolated from Sundaland, the large rainforest block of South-East Asia. During a yearlong study, we captured 3018 individuals belonging to 32 species and representing 14 genera. While some butterflies were captured in the canopy, no species was significantly more abundant in the canopy than in the understory. This observation was contrary to studies elsewhere in the tropics where 14–55% of the species could be classified as canopy specialists. Even though the largest number of species was captured at forest edges, species diversity was highest in the gaps. The communities at the forest edge differed importantly from those in treefall gaps: at the forest edge, we caught grassland species in addition to the forest species. Larger treefall gaps had higher butterfly abundance than smaller gaps. Both abundance and diversity peaked during the late monsoon season, and all common species in our sample also peaked during this period. The spatiotemporal community structure appears to depend on biogeography (less vertical stratification further from large forest blocks) and climate (more synchrony among species in seasonal abundance when there is a more severe dry season).

Diversity but Not Overall Abundance of Moths and Butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) Decreases around Two Arctic Polluters.

Alarming reports on the rapid decline of insects during the past decades call for the exploration of potential drivers of this process. Here, we test the hypothesis that the overall abundance and diversity of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) decrease under the impact of industrial pollution in the fragile arctic environment. For this purpose, experienced collectors netted adult Lepidoptera at five tundra sites located 0.5 to 45.3 km from the ore-roasting plant in Zapolyarnyy and at five forest sites located 1.4 to 37.8 km from the copper-nickel smelter at Nikel, in the Murmansk region of Russia. The analysis of the 100 samples collected from 2003 to 2008 and containing 2312 individuals of 122 species revealed that the diversity of Lepidoptera declined significantly near both of these polluters due to both decreases in species richness and changes in the abundance of individual species, whereas the overall abundance of moths and butterflies was independent of the pollution load. These patterns did not differ between Nikel and Zapolyarnyy, and they were consistent with patterns previously found near the copper-nickel smelter at Monchegorsk. The abundances of Lepidoptera species showed variable changes along pollution gradients, from significantly negative to significantly positive, but individual species showed similar density changes around these three polluters. Disproportional increases in the abundance of a few pollution-tolerant species change the community structure and explain why the overall abundance of moths and butterflies does not decline even in localities experiencing extreme loads of sulphur dioxide and heavy metals.

Diversity of Butterflies (Lepidoptera) in three different Habitat Types of Manali Town, Himachal Pradesh

Preliminary study was carried out in three different habitat types, Deodar Forest (DF), Mixed forest (MF) and agricultural fields (AF) of Manali town, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh in September and October 2020. A total of 32 species belonging to 4 families and 26 genera were recorded. Species composition was found higher in Agricultural fields (mean 5.47 ± 6.96 SD) followed by Mixed forest type (mean 4.72 ± 8.38) and lowest in Deodar forest type (mean 4.19 ± 11.54). Species diversity of family Nymphalidae and Pieridae were found dominant whereas, abundance of family Lycaenidae was the highest in the study regions. Among all surveyed habitat types, Cluster analysis revealed that highest diversity and abundance of butterflies was supported by Agricultural fields or we can say human dominated landscape which represented the most suitable habitat for butterflies in terms of conservation.

Alpine butterflies want to fly high: Species and communities shift upwards faster than their host plants.

Despite sometimes strong codependencies of insect herbivores and plants, the responses of individual taxa to accelerating climate change are typically studied in isolation. For this reason, biotic interactions that potentially limit species in tracking their preferred climatic niches are ignored. Here, we chose butterflies as a prominent representative of herbivorous insects to investigate the impacts of temperature changes and their larval host plant distributions along a 1.4-km elevational gradient in the German Alps. Following a sampling protocol of 2009, we revisited 33 grassland plots in 2019 over an entire growing season. We quantified changes in butterfly abundance and richness by repeated transect walks on each plot and disentangled the direct and indirect effects of locally assessed temperature, site management, and larval and adult food resource availability on these patterns. Additionally, we determined elevational range shifts of butterflies and host plants at both the community and species level. Comparing the two sampled years (2009 and 2019), we found a severe decline in butterfly abundance and a clear upward shift of butterflies along the elevational gradient. We detected shifts in the peak of species richness, community composition, and at the species level, whereby mountainous species shifted particularly strongly. In contrast, host plants showed barely any change, neither in connection with species richness nor individual species shifts. Further, temperature and host plant richness were the main drivers of butterfly richness, with change in temperature best explaining the change in richness over time. We concluded that host plants were not yet hindering butterfly species and communities from shifting upwards. However, the mismatch between butterfly and host plant shifts might become a problem for this very close plant-herbivore relationship, especially toward higher elevations, if butterflies fail to adapt to new host plants. Further, our results support the value of conserving traditional extensive pasture use as a promoter of host plant and, hence, butterfly richness.

Riparian Butterflies along the San Diego River, California USA: Natural Areas to Urban Environments

Butterfly assemblages were studied from 2004 to 2007 at sites along the San Diego River. The purpose was to provide baseline information in the face of possible river improvement projects. We sampled in a protected area and in urban environments in hopes of identifying butterfly assemblages associated with a variety of riparian types. Multivariate analysis identified environmental variables significantly associated with butterfly assemblages such as riparian rank, soil moisture, air temperature, wind speed, nectar abundance, and forb & graminoid richness. There were significant correlations between butterfly species richness, butterfly abundance and a variety of environmental variables, including % shade. Sites located in the Mission Trails Regional Park contained unique butterfly species and were considered high value reference sites. Some butterflies of conservation interest were encountered such as: Panoquina errans Skinner, 1892 (Hesperiidae), Zerene eurydice Boisduval, 1855 (Pieridae), Tharsalea hermes W.H. Edwards, 1870 (Lycaenidae), and Apodemia virgulti Behr, 1865 (Riodinidae). A butterfly-centric metric was derived using species richness and significant variables identified via multivariate analysis to aid in management/monitoring of San Diego riparian sites.

Butterfly diversity of Gangulpara, Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh

Butterflies are important bio indicators of the ecosystem. To document the relative abundance, local status, and seasonal occurrence of butterflies, the present work was carried out in the Gagulpara, Balaghat. In the present study, a total of 37 species of butterflies belonging to 5 families have been recorded during the study period. Out of 37 species, 8.1% of species include rare and 21.62% of species that include uncommon are important species and required conservation at Gagulpara. The family dominated over the other recorded family is Nymphalidae with the highest percentage (57%).

Temporal Variation in Abundance and Distribution of Butterflies in a Southern Nigerian National Park

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the butterfly diversity in Okomu National Park, Nigeria in order to make available information on butterfly species in this protected areas. Background: Butterflies are a taxonomically important group for predicting the health of the environment. Objective: In order to establish butterfly abundance and distribution in Okomu National Park, a temporal variation study was conducted for a period of twenty-four months (July 2012 to June 2014). Methods: Eight transects (Disturbed habitat (DIS), Forest Edge/Plantation (FE/P), Moderately Open Forest (MOF), Forest Along Road/Moist Patches (FAR/MP), Riparian Habitat (RIP), Closed Canopy (CC), Shrub (SHR) and Grassland (GRA) were mapped out from the four ranges (Igwonwan, Arakhuan, Julius Creek and Babui) from visual level of disturbance and degree of canopy closure for transect walk, butterfly net and baited trap methods of butterfly sampling. Environmental variables (temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall) were concurrently sampled with butterflies. Results: A total of 143 species and 6,310 individuals of butterflies were obtained from the families; Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, and Hesperiidae. Nymphalid (3103: 49.2%) and Pieridae (2269: 36.0%) predominated and Hesperiidae was recorded low (8: 0.1%). Significant differences were observed in the abundance of butterflies in the transects (p< 0.05). Rainfall was positively correlated with butterfly abundance. Butterfly abundance was higher in rainy season compared to dry season except in RIP where a reverse trend was observed. Abundance was higher in FAR/MP (1633: 25.9%) and MOF (1251: 19.8%) compared to other transects, and was lowest in SHR (295: 4.7%). Conclusion: It can be concluded that butterfly in Okomu forest is abundant and stable, and as such continuous effort is required to conserve butterfly flora and fauna in this park.

Butterflies benefit from forest edge improvements in Western European lowland forests, irrespective of adjacent meadows’ use intensity

The joint effect of forest edge (FE) heterogeneity and management intensity of the adjacent farmland on FE insect communities is still poorly understood. In this study, a pairwise design was established, consisting of 36 Western European lowland FEs, with each of the 18 FE pairs containing one improved and one nearby non-improved FE. Half of the FE pairs were situated along extensively used and half along intensively used meadows, leading to gradual contrast patterns. Butterflies were selected as the survey group because they contain widely recognized flagship species and are meaningful indicators of landscape quality and resource availability. The main outcomes were as follows: (i) FE improvements led to higher overall FE heterogeneity scores, calculated on the basis of 16 floristic and structural indicator values. (ii) Overall butterfly species richness and butterfly abundance both benefited from higher FE heterogeneity. (iii) Butterfly species richness was higher on improved FEs, irrespective of adjacent meadows’ use intensity. (iv) Butterfly abundance was higher on improved FEs, mainly due to high contrast situations between improved FEs and adjacent intensively used meadows. (v) FE improvements resulted in higher butterfly indicator species richness and abundance. The strategy of the canton of Aargau in Switzerland, where this study was conducted, to ecologically improve around 200 km of additional FEs in the longer term is believed to further promote butterfly diversity in the transition zone between closed forest and open landscape.

Assessing butterfly diversity and their response to habitat condition in pristine peat bogs in Belarus

Peat bogs are valuable ecosystems because they support regional and local hydrological conditions, and store carbon and other greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, their area in Europe is extremely reduced due to human activities. As a result, the number of studies on biodiversity and the environmental factors affecting the distribution of insects, including butterflies, in large intact peatlands is limited. Such studies provide an important baseline for the subsequent analysis of changes during climate warming and for the assessment of succession in degraded peatlands. The results of such research have shown how butterfly assemblages react to local peat bog habitat conditions and contribute new information on the relations of consumers and the very specific environment of peat bogs. The presented research targets the relationship between characteristics of butterfly assemblages and key environmental variables in intact peat bog habitats. A total of 1427 individuals belonging to 23 butterfly species were recorded. In this study, I found that butterfly abundance, diversity and species composition varied significantly among three main habitat types, namely lagg zones, pine bogs and open bogs, although these habitats did not differ in species richness. The highest abundance was in the pine bogs which are characterized by higher plant community structural complexity and, as a result, higher butterfly food resources. The results confirmed positive responses of species richness and abundance of butterflies to nectariferous flower cover. On the other hand, open, sunny, but windy sites on the peat bogs contribute to a decrease of abundance.

Elevational distribution of montane Afrotropical butterflies is influenced by seasonality and habitat structure.

Determinants of elevational distribution of butterfly species richness and abundance in the tropics are poorly understood. Here we assess the combined effects, both additive and interactive, of seasonality and habitat structure on the elevational distribution of butterflies in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. We sampled butterflies along a 1100 m elevational gradient that extended from 1540 to 2639 m using a time-constrained fixed-area method during the short to long rains and long to short rains transitions, and in habitat structure classified as closed or open. We used semi-parametric generalized linear mixed models to assess the relation between butterfly species richness or abundance, and seasonality, habitat structure, family and elevation. For all species combined, species richness declined with elevation in both open and closed habitats during the long to short rains transition. During the short to long rains transition, species richness displayed a mid-elevation peak across habitats. Among the three focal families (Nymphalidae, Papilionidae and Pieridae) similar patterns in the elevational distribution of species richness were observed. Species abundance declined or remained stable with elevation across seasons and habitat structure; the exception being species abundance in open habitat during the short to long rain transition and increased slightly with elevation. Abundance by family did not vary significantly by habitat structure or season. Our results indicate that seasonality and habitat structure shape species richness and abundance of butterflies along an elevational gradient in the Uluguru Mountains. These patterns are important for informing conservation actions because temperature as well as annual and seasonal variation in precipitation are predicted to increase in East Africa as a result of climate change, important determinants of seasonality, while habitat disturbance may increase due to a projected doubling in Tanzania’s population over the next 27 years.

Butterflies' biodiversity of Souk Ahras Forest (Mechroha and Ouled Driss North east of Algeria)

AbstractThis study investigated for the first time species richness, abundance of butterflies and disturbed habitats in Souk Ahras Forest. The assessment of butterflies' diversity and relative abundance was conducted from July 2019 to July 2021. We recorded 60,696 individuals of 49 butterfly species belonging to six families (Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Hesperiidae and Sphingidae). Nymphalidae was dominant by 19 species, followed by Lycaenidae 13 species, Pieridae 10 species, Hesperiidae 4 species, Papilionidae 2 species and diurnal moths ‘Sphingidae’ with only one species. The highest number of species was recorded in oaks groves (medium high altitude) with 35 species; in terms of abundance, grassland (low altitude) dominates in number (n = 20,094). The lowest species diversity (S = 7) and number of individuals (n = 1227) were recorded in the Dense tree stratum scrub station which records significant water pollution. We notice that the abundance of butterflies was important during the spring and summer periods but less important during the winter. Landscape composition and habitat influence butterfly diversity and their dynamics. Many species used more than one distinct habitat type, or just one special habitat; we suggest that vegetation cover is an important mechanism for butterfly diversity persistence in forest ecosystems mosaics.

Effects of crop type and production method on arable biodiversity in boreal farmland

Crop choice affects biodiversity within fields due to crop-specific characteristics and management practices. However, there is a lack of studies systematically comparing the biodiversity value of different crops across multiple taxa. This study empirically compared the diversity of plants, pollinators, predatory arthropods, and multi-taxa diversity between seven crop types and long-term environmental fallows in boreal farmland. The effects of crop production method (organic vs. conventional) on biodiversity were also examined. Biodiversity data were collected in 78 fields in Southern Finland. The studied species groups differed in their preferences for crop types and fallows, but none of them was particularly associated to spring cereal (oat), the dominant arable crop in the boreal farmland. Environmental fallows had the highest plant species richness and butterfly abundance, whereas faba bean and oilseed crop fields attracted high numbers of bumblebees. Carabid beetles were most abundant in winter cereal (rye) fields, and spiders in perennial crop types. Multi-taxa diversity was highest in fallows and lowest in spring cereal (oat), ley and cabbage fields. Organic production increased plant species richness across crop types. Hoverflies responded to the interaction of production method and crop type, being most abundant in organically managed faba bean fields. The other species groups and multi-taxa diversity were not affected by the production method. High arable land cover in the surrounding landscape had negative effect on butterflies, solitary bees and carabid beetles within fields. Our results suggest that diversifying cropping systems to include more insect-pollinated crops, winter cereals and pastures, and increasing the area of environmental fallows while maintaining landscape heterogeneity would enhance resource provision for a variety of organism groups in boreal agricultural landscapes.