Butterfly trends and conservation outside and within Natura 2000 sites
EU Pollinator Workshop, 13 November 2019
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Sue Collins, Butterfly Conservation Europe Irma Wynhoff, Dutch Butterfly Conservation Outline
Butterfly Monitoring Schemes and Indicators ABLE Project to extend Butterfly Monitoring Schemes across EU Trends – Grassland Butterfly indicator Trends Butterfly declines in NL and insect Insect weight decline: - 75% declines in Germany Decline butterfly numbers NL: - 45% C:\Users\irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png Status of Natura 2000 Butterflies and their grassland habitats Umbrella effect of Natura 2000 – impacts on non designated species, including bees Key issues for recovery of butterflies and other insect pollinators Why are butterflies important?
Pararge aegeria Insects are the largest proportion of terrestrial wildlife (more than 50% of species) and declining faster than vertebrates and plants
Respond rapidly to changes in habitat condition and climate
Major threats are agriculturalC:\Users\irma intensification\Downloads\BCE and logo screen dump.png abandonment, but also climate change, management change, tourism, urbanisation, fire, pollution, invasive alien species
Wealth of information on ecology, life-histories and distributions
Capture the public imagination, including through citizen science Melitaea didyma Butterfly Monitoring Schemes in Europe
Same general sampling method of line transects under standardized conditions Transect counts by trained volunteers (and a few professionals) About 7000 transects in 15 countries Length of observation period more than 40 to 1 year C:\Users\irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png 34% are within Natura 2000 sites Locations are highly representative for all major land cover classes EU Pilot Project ABLE to help set up schemes in 21/22 EU countries in 2020 with eBMS data base More could be developed in 2020 with support of EU Spatial distribution of transects across major MSs or additional resources to support new scheme biogeographic regions coordinators and recruit and train volunteer recorders ABLE: tools for policy relevant indicators
National Butterfly Monitoring Schemes generate local, regional and national indices and trends Field monitoring data on the abundance of butterflies in 15 EU Member States has been collected for many years by BCE Partners, on a systematic transectC:\Users basis\irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png This has enabled reporting on an EU Grassland Butterfly Indicator This Indicator is part of the SEBI 2010 Indicator Suite for EU Biodiversity Policy Evaluation. It has demonstrated significant declines in butterfly abundance since 1990 – around 40%
16 Countries, 6400 Transects, 17 Grassland species Conservation Status and Trend of Butterflies and Moths (EEA analysis of Art 17 data to 2012)
Conservation status Trends HD Butterflies and Moths
Lepidoptera (175 assessments) Lepidoptera (175 assessments) C:\Users\irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png
Arthropods (415 assessments) Arthropods (415 assessments)
All species (2665 assessments) All species (2665 assessments)
0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Favourable Unknown Unfavourable-inadequate Unfavourable-bad Favourable Unfavourable improving Unfavourable trend unknown Unknown Unfavourable stable Unfavourable declining Conservation status of some Natura 2000 grasslands by biogeographic zone (EEA 2010 Article 17 database CIRCA)
U2 = Unfavourable – Bad U1 = Unfavourable – Inadequate FV = Favourable
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Most HD butterflies and other insect pollinators depend on good quality semi-natural grasslands - the most threatened EU terrestrial ecosystem – restoration is essential Umbrella effect of Natura 2000: effect on non HD species
Natura 2000 is beneficial for both HD and non HD butterfly species
Natura 2000 is beneficial for threatened and non threatened butterfly species areas
Key butterfly habitatsC:\Users occur\irma more\Downloads \BCE logo screen dump.png frequently in Natura 2000
In Germany, species richness is higher in Natura 2000 but decline is equal inside and outside
Management in Natura 2000 and wider landscape important Guidelines for good habitat management for butterflies
Manage at a landscape scale in favour of small scale habitat patches Maintain active pastoral systems Manage for structural diversity: edges Support mosaics of habitats C:\Users\irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png Create connections between patches Manage woodland actively Avoid uniform cutting dates Monitor butterflies and other pollinators in the field Looking at EU CAP Reform
CAP Reform Opportunity
EU Member States CAP Strategic Plans CAP could: Design new Eco Schemes to give better support to farmers for extensive management of meadows and pastures Support more targeted and results-based agri- environment schemesC:\Users \irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png Support re-creation of edge habitats for pollinators
Such Schemes across the farmed landscape could play a vital role in restoration of pollinators incl. butterflies, their habitats and ecosystem services at a landscape scale
Monitoring is vital to demonstrate results achieved C:\Users\irma\Downloads\BCE logo screen dump.png Thank you