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Influence of habitat and landscape on butterfly diversity of semi-natural meadows within forest-dominated landscapes

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Abstract

This study investigates how butterfly communities are influenced by habitat and landscape factors in forest-dominated landscapes. The abundance and species richness of butterflies were determined in 22 semi-natural meadows located in north-eastern Estonia. A correlation analysis, partial least squares analysis and stepwise forward-selection multiple regression analysis were applied for habitat parameters and the surrounding landscape at four spatial scales, i.e., 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 m radius. We found a positive correlation between the proportion of forest and total butterfly species richness at a 250 m radius scale. Contrary to expectation, the amount of meadow area in the surrounding landscape negatively influenced butterfly species richness and abundance. Our results emphasise the importance of both the surrounding landscape and habitat characteristics for butterfly species richness. Because butterfly communities are composed of individual species with different habitat requirements, diverse habitats and landscape configurations should be applied in insect conservation and management.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by targeted financing from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (SF1090050s07), by an applied research project of the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture (T8014PKPK) and by the EU Regional Development Foundation, Environmental Conservation and Environmental Technology R&D Programme Project EDULOOD (3.2.0802.11-0043). We would like to thank anonymous reviewers for their useful comments that greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Ave Liivamägi, Valdo Kuusemets, Jaan Luig & Isabel Diaz-Forero

  2. Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014, Tartu, Estonia

    Tanel Kaart

Authors
  1. Ave Liivamägi
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  2. Valdo Kuusemets
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  3. Tanel Kaart
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  4. Jaan Luig
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  5. Isabel Diaz-Forero
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ave Liivamägi.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 2.

Table 2 Patch and landscape variables considered in this study
Full size table

Appendix 2

List of butterfly species observed in 22 semi-natural meadows in north-eastern Estonia (the nomenclature of the species follows Fauna Europaea).

Hesperiidae

Carterocephalus palaemon

Ochlodes sylvanus

Carterocephalus silvicola

Pyrgus malvae

Hesperia comma

Thymelicus lineola

Heteropterus morpheus

Thymelicus sylvestris

Lycaenidae

Aricia artaxerxes

Lycaena virgaureae

Aricia eumedon

Plebejus (Plebejus) argus

Cupido (Everes) argiades

Plebejus (Plebejus) idas

Cupido (Cupido) minimus

Polyommatus (Polyommatus) amandus

Lycaena alciphron

Polyommatus (Polyommatus) icarus

Lycaena dispar

Cyaniris semiargus

Lycaena hippothoe

Pseudophilotes vicrama

Lycaena phlaeas

 

Nymphalidae

Aglais io

Erebia ligea

Aglais urticae

Euphydryas aurinia

Aphantopus hyperantus

Euphydryas maturna

Araschnia levana

Hyponephele lycaon

Argynnis (Fabriciana) adippe

Lasiommata maera

Argynnis (Mesoacidalia) aglaja

Lasiommata petropolitana

Argynnis (Argyronome) laodice

Maniola jurtina

Argynnis (Argynnis) paphia

Melitaea athalia

Boloria (Clossiana) selene

Melitaea diamina

Brenthis ino

Polygonia c-album

Coenonympha glycerion

Vanessa atalanta

Coenonympha hero

Vanessa cardui

Coenonympha pamphilus

 

Papilionidae

Papilio machaon

Parnassius mnemosyne

Pieridae

Aporia crataegi

Pieris brassicae

Gonepteryx rhamni

Pieris napi

Leptidea spp.

Pieris rapae

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Liivamägi, A., Kuusemets, V., Kaart, T. et al. Influence of habitat and landscape on butterfly diversity of semi-natural meadows within forest-dominated landscapes. J Insect Conserv 18, 1137–1145 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-014-9724-7

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