scholarly journals Influences of landscape structure on butterfly diversity in urban private gardens using a citizen science approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred Pendl ◽  
Raja Imran Hussain ◽  
Dietmar Moser ◽  
Thomas Frank ◽  
Thomas Drapela
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Butterfly Conservation ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Butterfly Diversity ◽  
Science Approach ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAlthough urbanization is increasing worldwide, private gardens may help mitigate the impact of urbanization on butterfly diversity. We investigated how local and landscape factors correspond with the observed butterfly species diversity and species composition in Viennese private gardens. The goal is to determine the importance of private gardens for butterfly conservation. Butterfly species were observed by skilled volunteers by applying a citizen science approach. We related butterfly species numbers in private gardens with local parameters and landscape composition in a radius of 1 km around each garden. Data were analyzed using a regression approach based on generalized linear models. The butterfly species richness in private gardens was positively correlated with butterfly species richness in the surrounding landscapes. Butterfly species richness in private gardens increased with higher proportions of area relevant for butterflies in the surrounding landscape and with increasing numbers of host and nectar plant species in the private gardens. A higher proportion of wooded areas in the surrounding landscape was related with a smaller proportion of the landscape butterfly species pool being observed in the private gardens. Overall, our results could be useful in land use planning, and for future studies of how to integrate citizen science and make urban gardens more beneficial for butterfly conservation.

scholarly journals The impact of outdoor lighting on ecosystem function – gaining information with a Citizen Science approach using a questionnaire

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Schroer Sibylle ◽  
Felsmann Katja ◽  
Hölker Franz ◽  
Mummert Stephan ◽  
Monaghan Michael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Science Approach ◽  
The Impact

Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) diversity in relation to habitat utilization at Jagannath Kishore College, Purulia, West Bengal (India)

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
DIPANWITA DAS
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Butterfly Diversity ◽  
Tridax Procumbens ◽  
Eurema Hecabe ◽  
Purulia District ◽  
One Year

Documentation of butterfly diversity is necessary for ecosystem management both at the local and the global scales. The varied types of  functional role of the butterflies qualify them for conservation and thus sustenance of the ecosystem services. Information about the biodiversity of Purulia district as well as arid regions of Chota Nagpur Plateau is insufficient and this necessitates to investigate about the butterfly diversity of Purulia which will provide subsequent information for ecosystem management. On the basis of this proposition, the present study was carried out in the campus of Jagannath Kishore College, Purulia, West Bengal (India). The species richness, species diversity, seasonal variation and habitat utilisation by the butterflies were studied for a period of one year between February 2016 and January 2017 with photographic documentation. A total of seventy-one butterfly species under five families were encountered, of which, the family Nymphalidae represented highest number of species. The butterfly species richness was lower in summer probably due to the scarcity of water, but during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons water availabitity boost up the vegetation and therefore species richness increased to its maximum. Among the different species, Eurema hecabe was the most abundant species throughout the year followed by Leptosia nina, Danaus chrysippus and Catopsilia pomona. In the study area, thirty-one species of herbs and shrubs were identified as nectaring plants for adult butterflies. Among them, Tridax procumbens, Lantana camara, Alternanthera sessilis and Tagetes sp. were recognized as the preferred nectaring plants based on the number of butterflies visiting them. As an effort for conservation of the butterflies, the information on the plants and the species avaialble in the concerned region may be used further. However, long term monitoring of the concerned region is recommended to understand the changes in the environmental quality as reflected through the variations in the butterfly species assemblages. 

scholarly journals Butterfly diversity of Putalibazar Municipality, Syangja District, Gandaki Province, Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 18827-18845
Author(s):  
Kismat Neupane ◽  
Mahamad Sayab Miya
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Butterfly Diversity ◽  
Wiener Diversity Index

A study was carried out to find the butterfly species diversity and abundance in Putalibazar Municipality, Syangja, Gandaki, Nepal, from June 2019 to July 2020. Pollard walk method was used for data collection in three different habitat types: forest, agricultural land, and settlement area. The study was performed in all seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, post monsoon and winter. A total of 180 butterfly species from 108 genera and six families were recorded. The overall Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H) was 4.48. The highest diversity was represented by the Nymphalidae with 67 species (H= 3.79). Butterfly diversity and species abundance was highest in the forest area (147 species, 1199 individuals; H= 4.47). The highest species richness (109 species) was observed in the monsoon season.

scholarly journals Butterfly diversity of paddy growing area in winter and pre-monsoon season (Rabi crop) at Silezari site of Gondia district, Maharashtra, India

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dharmik R. Ganvir ◽  
Chintaman J. Khune
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Paddy Field ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Agricultural Fields ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Systematic Survey ◽  
Butterfly Diversity ◽  
Wide Range

A systematic survey was carried out on butterflies of agricultural field during winter and pre-monsoon season, Silezari, Vidarbha, India because it is now clear that agricultural fields particularly paddy field are unique ecosystems that provide some butterflies to complete their life span.. Total 24 species of butterflies were recorded belonging to 20 genera and 5 families. Nymphalidae family is consisting of maximum number of genera and species and only one species recorded from family Papilionidae. Maximum species richness reported from March and April month. The present study will encourage the conservation of a wide range of indigenous butterfly species in an area.

scholarly journals Roads affect the spatial structure of butterfly communities in grassland patches

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Skórka ◽  
Magdalena Lenda ◽  
Dawid Moroń
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Road Mortality ◽  
Road Verge ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Butterfly Communities ◽  
Road Verges ◽  
The Impact

Roads may have an important negative effect on animal dispersal rate and mortality and thus the functioning of local populations. However, road verges may be surrogate habitats for invertebrates. This creates a conservation dilemma around the impact of roads on invertebrates. Further, the effect of roads on invertebrates is much less understood than that on vertebrates. We studied the effect of roads on butterflies by surveying abundance, species richness and composition, and mortality in ten grassland patches along high-traffic roads (∼50–100 vehicles per hour) and ten reference grassland patches next to unpaved roads with very little traffic (<1 vehicle per day) in southern Poland. Five 200-m transects parallel to the road were established in every grassland patch: at a road verge, 25 m from the verge, in the patch interior, and 25 m from the boundary between the grassland and field and at the grassland-arable field boundary. Moreover, one 200-m transect located on a road was established to collect roadkilled butterflies. The butterfly species richness but not abundance was slightly higher in grassland patches adjacent to roads than in reference grassland patches. Butterfly species composition in grasslands adjacent to roads differed from that in the reference patches. Proximity of a road increased variability in butterfly abundances within grassland patches. Grassland patches bordering roads had higher butterfly abundance and variation in species composition in some parts of the grassland patch than in other parts. These effects were not found in reference grassland patches, where butterfly species and abundance were more homogenously distributed in a patch. Plant species composition did not explain butterfly species. However, variance partitioning revealed that the presence of a road explained the highest proportion of variation in butterfly species composition, followed by plant species richness and abundance in grassland patches. Road mortality was low, and the number of roadkilled butterflies was less than 5% of that of all live butterflies. Nevertheless, the number and species composition of roadkilled butterflies were well explained by the butterfly communities living in road verges but not by total butterfly community structure in grassland patches. This study is the first to show that butterfly assemblages are altered by roads. These results indicate that: (1) grassland patches located near roads are at least as good habitats for butterflies as reference grassland patches are, (2) roads create a gradient of local environmental conditions that increases variation in the abundance of certain species and perhaps increases total species richness in grassland patches located along roads, and (3) the impact of roads on butterflies is at least partially independent of the effect of plants on butterflies. Furthermore, (4) the direct impact of road mortality is probably spatially limited to butterflies living in close proximity to roads.

scholarly journals Comparisons of Citizen Science Data-Gathering Approaches to Evaluate Urban Butterfly Diversity

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Prudic ◽  
Jeffrey Oliver ◽  
Brian Brown ◽  
Elizabeth Long
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Effectiveness And Efficiency ◽  
Malaise Traps

By 2030, ten percent of earth’s landmass will be occupied by cities. Urban environments can be home to many plants and animals, but surveying and estimating biodiversity in these spaces is complicated by a heterogeneous built environment where access and landscaping are highly variable due to human activity. Citizen science approaches may be the best way to assess urban biodiversity, but little is known about their relative effectiveness and efficiency. Here, we compare three techniques for acquiring data on butterfly (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) species richness: trained volunteer Pollard walks, Malaise trapping with expert identification, and crowd-sourced iNaturalist observations. A total of 30 butterfly species were observed; 27 (90%) were recorded by Pollard walk observers, 18 (60%) were found in Malaise traps, and 22 (73%) were reported by iNaturalist observers. Pollard walks reported the highest butterfly species richness, followed by iNaturalist and then Malaise traps during the four-month time period. Pollard walks also had significantly higher species diversity than Malaise traps.

scholarly journals Butterfly Diversity and Abundance in the Middle Afromontane Area of Northwestern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Melaku Wale ◽  
Sofia Abdella
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Equal Distribution ◽  
Butterfly Diversity ◽  
Rarefaction Curves ◽  
Forest Habitats

Butterflies are good indicators of environmental health, and they play a critical role in the food chain. Butterfly diversity and abundance were studied for the first time at three forests and their surrounding habitats in northwestern Ethiopia, a borderline ecosystem between the subtropical savannah and the Ethiopian highlands (Afromontane). Butterfly species richness and abundance were assessed using transects between October 2018 and June 2019. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, correlation and regression analysis, diversity indices, ordination analysis, cluster analysis, and rarefaction curves. A total of 27,568 butterflies were recorded that belonged to three families, five subfamilies, and eight genera. The forest habitat had more butterfly taxa (abundance and diversity) than other habitats. Belenois spp. and Mylothris agathina were the most abundant in all three study locations. Species common to all study areas include Belenois aurota, Belenois raffrayi, Mylothris agathina, Eronia leda, Junonia terea elgiva, and Phalanta eurytis neuritis. Forest edge and woody forest habitats were the richest in terms of both number of species and number of individuals. Equitability (Pielou's index) showed equal distribution of the species, i.e., 0.8 to 0.9, except at the open grassland at Tara Gedam (0.3). Margalef's index varied between habitats and locations showing differences in species richness (from 0.25 at the woody forest of Mount Bezawit to 0.86 at the forest edge of Tara Gedam). Ordination analyses also showed that associations existed between habitats, locations, and dates of sampling. Rarefaction curves rose quickly at the forest edge and woody forest habitats compared to other forests. The cluster analysis discriminated the different habitats. Populations declined during the dry season (December to April). In conclusion, butterfly species diversity and abundance varied with respect to habitat and sampling date (season), although less diverse than other regions in the country where natural forests still widely exist. Butterfly species must be regularly monitored, and their habitats must be preserved for the health of the entire ecosystem.

scholarly journals Effects of nitrogen deposition on butterfly species richness on the landscape scale

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Roth ◽  
Lukas Kohli ◽  
Beat Rihm ◽  
Reto Meier ◽  
Valentin Amrhein
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Monitoring Program ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Butterfly Diversity

AbstractNitrogen (N) deposition caused by agriculture and combustion of fossil fuels is a major threat to plant diversity, but the effects on higher trophic levels are less clear. In this study we investigated how N deposition may affect butterfly species richness. We started with reviewing the literature and found that vegetation parameters might be as important as climate and habitat variables in explaining variation in butterfly species richness. It thus seems likely that increased N deposition indirectly affects butterfly communities via its influence on plant communities. We then analyzed data from the Swiss biodiversity monitoring program surveying species diversity of vascular plants and butterflies in 383 study sites of 1 km2 that are regularly distributed over Switzerland, covering a modelled N deposition gradient from 2 to 44 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Using traditional linear models and structural equation models, we found that high N deposition was consistently linked to low butterfly diversity, suggesting a net loss of butterfly diversity through increased N deposition. At low elevations, N deposition may contribute to a reduction in butterfly species richness via microclimatic cooling due to increased plant biomass. At higher elevations, negative effects of N deposition on butterfly species richness may also be mediated by reduced plant species richness. We conclude that in addition to factors such as intensified agriculture, habitat fragmentation and climate change, nitrogen deposition is likely to play a key role in affecting butterfly diversity.

scholarly journals Effects of elevation gradient and aspect on butterfly diversity on Galičica Mountain in the Republic of Macedonia (south–eastern Europe)

2020 ◽  
pp. 67-78
Author(s):  
M. Popović ◽  
B. Micevski ◽  
R. Verovnik
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Butterfly Species ◽  
Butterfly Diversity ◽  
Β Diversity ◽  
Altitudinal Zone ◽  
South Eastern Europe ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Two Peaks ◽  
Diversity Estimates

The patterns of butterfly diversity and community changes in relation to elevation are an interesting and well–covered topic in ecology, but the effects of aspect have rarely been evaluated. Here we studied the changes in butterfly species richness and communities along the elevation gradient and aspect of Galičica Mountain. As expected, species richness changed with altitude, showing a bimodal pattern with two peaks and a declining trend towards higher altitude. Changes were well–correlated with the area in each altitudinal zone, while the effects of productivity were less clear. Butterfly communities at higher altitudes were the most distinct when grouped according to β diversity estimates, followed by mid– and low–altitude communities. Indicator species were found in mid–altitudes and for the combination of low–mid and mid–high altitudes, but not among aspects. Overall, aspect produced a less conclusive effect on species richness and community composition. South and north accounted for most of these differences despite dominant western and eastern and exposition of the mountain slopes. The community temperature index declined with altitude and on the northern aspect, showing these areas hosted more cold–adapted species. Notes on butterfly conservation are provided as 23 species known from historical surveys have not been recorded recently. Data published through GBIF (Doi: 10.15470/jacl7y).

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