The severe decline of butterflies on western German calcareous grasslands during the last 30 years: A conservation problem

Butterflies and burnet moths are a suitable model species group with which to analyse the general decline of invertebrate biodiversity over the last few decades. In this study, we analysed which ecological groups of butterflies and burnet moths are most affected and how the recent modifications of the landscape have influenced them. Therefore, we studied the species composition of seven calcareous grassland remnants in south-western Germany in 1972 and 2001. We observed a strong change in the community composition and a severe decline in species richness. In general, the incidence of the autochthonous non-ubiquitous species declined by more than 50%, whereas ubiquitous species showed no significant difference in numbers during this period. Especially affected by the decline were those species which need structured habitats, those which are poor dispersers, species which need habitat sizes of 16 ha and more, monophagous species, K strategists and Red Data Book species. Most probably, either habitat outside the reserves is affecting dynamics within the reserves or loss of habitat outside the protected areas has reduced the overall area and connectivity of habitat for some species, increasing extinction rates and reducing colonisation rates in metapopulations. We conclude that these negative trends can only be stopped or even reversed if the landscape structure is made less hostile for species with conservation interest.     

Landscape history and soil properties affect grassland decline and plant species richness in rural landscapes

Past semi-natural grassland extent is thought to have a major influence on contemporary species richness in rural landscapes. The loss of grasslands over the last 300 years was reconstructed for 12 rural landscapes in Sweden, ranging from open modern agricultural landscapes to more forested landscapes. Old maps and aerial photographs from 1950s and today were used to reconstruct landscape patterns in four time-steps to investigate how present plant species richness relates to past grassland extent and decline in old and new grassland habitats. The relative importance of soil properties on the timing of grassland decline was assessed. Plant species occurrence was recorded in managed and abandoned grassland habitats in each landscape.Past and present grassland distribution was a major factor in determining plant species patterns found in grasslands today. All landscapes had an average of 80% grassland 300 years ago. Since then grassland has declined by 90% across all landscapes. Proportion of clay soils influenced the timing of grassland decline, where grasslands in landscapes dominated by clay soils were conversed to crop-fields more than 100 years ago. Grasslands on coarser soils declined later, primarily to forest. Landscapes with more than 10% semi-natural grassland left today had 50% higher species richness in all grasslands, including both abandoned and new grassland. Time since major grassland decline also seems to have an effect on the landscapes’ species richness. The results show that plant species patterns in grasslands at local scales are determined by broader landscape processes which may have occurred many centuries ago.     

Detection of extinction debt depends on scale and specialisation

Many plants can persist in landscapes for a long time after focal habitats have disappeared or become fragmented, which might contribute to an extinction debt. Delayed responses of plant occurrence have recently received great attention, particularly in conservation, although evidence for extinction debts is incongruent. Here we asked if we could detect an extinction debt for plant species after 100 years of fragmentation, depending on regional or local (gamma or alpha respectively) diversity measure used, and if all plant species or only habitat specialists were investigated. Historical and contemporary grassland patterns were analysed in 33 rural landscapes (each 1 km² in diameter) in south-eastern Sweden. Results show that managed semi-natural grassland had declined from 39% to 3% in 100 years. Diversity measured at regional scale was best explained by grassland extent 100 years ago, for both all species and grassland specialists. Present-day management, but neither present nor past grassland extent, was important for grassland specialists’ occurrence at the local scale, although present-day grassland proportion had a positive influence on species richness at the local scale. We found evidence of an extinction debt at both local and regional scale when all species were included in the analysis, but not for grassland specialist species at the local scale. However, the extinction debt is still to be settled for grassland specialists at the regional scale, and therefore the estimation of extinction debts in fragmented habitats presents one of the greatest challenges for conservation today and in the future.     

An evaluation of the status of five threatened plant species in the Pyrenees

In this paper we assess the conservation status of five of the most threatened species in the Pyrenean range (listed in the European Habitats Directive), and present updates of their distribution, reliable censuses to estimate population sizes, population growth rate, population structure, longevity, reproductive success and frequency of herbivory. Recent surveys and careful censuses revealed that the four taxa exclusively restricted to rocky habitats (Borderea chouardii, Androsace pyrenaica, Petrocoptis pseudoviscosa, Petrocoptis montsicciana) have more populations and/or individuals than previously thought. The remaining species, an orchid (Cypripedium calceolus), showed an important decline in population number. So while the rupicolous taxa might be considered naturally rare, the orchid is becoming rare. We failed to find evidence of current poor performance within populations, as recruitment was detected, population growth rate was quite stable in recent years, fruit and seed set was apparently adequate, and herbivory and predation were absent or very low. Additionally, most of the species show a long life span, which might buffer them against demographic and environmental stochasticity in absence of human disturbance.     

Does nectar reward affect rarity and extinction probabilities of orchid species? An assessment using historical records from Belgium and the Netherlands

The long-term persistence of plant populations may partly depend on pollination processes and seed production. The exact role of pollination in determining plant population viability still remains largely unclear. Orchid species have often been shown to be pollinator limited. Especially, non-rewarding species are characterized by infrequent pollinator visits and low seed set. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that, if overall population fitness of orchid species is influenced by seed production, non-rewarding species should be more prone to local extinction than rewarding species. To study the importance of nectar reward on orchid persistence, we collected historical records about the distribution of 32 orchid species in Flanders (Belgium) and 37 orchid species in the Netherlands. For both regions, present distribution patterns were compared with historical data. Between 1930 (Flanders) or 1950 (the Netherlands) and 2000, 26 (81%) species showed decreases in distribution range in Flanders, eight of which had gone extinct, whereas 29 (78%) species showed declines in distribution area in the Netherlands, five of which went extinct. Contrary to previously reported results, orchid distribution patterns were not related to nectar reward. There was also no significant relationship between nectar reward and extinction for both regions. Orchids typically occurring in wet grasslands and heathlands suffered greater losses than orchids typically confined to forest habitats or calcareous grasslands. We conclude that the production of nectar does not represent a safeguard for local extinction of orchid species. Habitat loss and other deterministic threats associated with habitat fragmentation and deterioration are more important determinants of orchid persistence.     

东北平原典型玉米种植区农业景观植物多样性研究——以昌图县为例

非耕作生境是农业景观中的重要组成部分,为生物提供食物和栖息地,对生物多样性保护具有重要意义。本文以辽宁省昌图县为例,选取了20个非耕作生境比例为0~50%的网格(1 km?1 km)为样区,采用典型样地法对调查区域内农业景观中的林地、田间路、草地、沟渠、果园5类主要非耕作生境中的植物群落进行调查,探讨不同非耕作生境类型和比例中植物多样性及其与景观异质性之间的关系。研究结果表明,随着非耕作生境比例增加,植物物种多样性和均匀度先增加后减小,在20%~30%时达到峰值;非耕作生境比例在0~40%范围内时,植物物种丰富度同样呈现先增加后减小,且在20%~30%时达到峰值;非耕作生境比例高于40%时,植物物种丰富度再次出现峰值且高于20%~30%。随着非耕作生境比例的增加,农业景观香浓多样性、香浓均匀度指数和景观斑块形状复杂程度逐渐增加,蔓延度恰好相反。不同生境中重要值最高的均为禾本科植物,但植物种不同;优势种优势度为果园沟渠草地田间路林地。果园、草地和沟渠的物种多样性和均匀度指数显著高于林地和田间路,丰富度指数为草地林地沟渠果园田间路,且草地、果园和田间路的不同调查区域间植物群落指数存在较大的变异性。草地、果园、沟渠、田间路和林地中景观异质性与物种多样性相关性顺次降低。研究结论表明,东北平原典型玉米种植区农业景观中,最适宜非耕作生境比例为20%~30%;非耕作生境中林地、沟渠对物种多样性维持、湿生植物多样性保护具有积极作用;不同生境干扰类型和方式不同,景观异质性与植物物种多样性相关性程度也不同。在今后农业景观生物多样性保护中应综合考虑非耕作生境的类型和比例,干扰的类型和方式等多种因素对生物多样性、生态服务及农业产量的影响。     

Indirect evidence for an extinction debt of grassland butterflies half century after habitat loss

Habitat loss often leads to a substantial decline in species richness. However, the extinction of species is typically not instant, but rather involves a time lag. Species richness in recently disturbed habitats is therefore expected to reflect past rather than current habitat availability, with the set of species eventually going extinct representing extinction debt. We explored current species richness of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) and burnet moths (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae) with respect to past and current habitat characteristics. The study was conducted in calcareous grasslands, a habitat that has suffered a rapid decline in Europe during the last century. We showed that species richness of habitat specialists correlated positively with both past (75 years ago) and current habitat area, and was best explained by a model incorporating both of these variables. The independent effect of past habitat area presumably indicates the presence of extinction debt in the study region. Species requiring large habitat areas were more likely to show signs of extinction debt. Species richness of other grassland butterflies (those not confined to the focal habitat type) was not associated with past or current habitat area, the pattern indicating their lower sensitivity to changes in focal habitats. The response to habitat loss in specialist butterflies appears faster than in specialist plants, studied in the same landscape earlier. We conclude that linking patterns of species diversity with the temporal dynamics of habitats substantially improves the understanding of the variation in species diversity, and thus helps to identify species of conservation concern.     

Remaining large grasslands may not be sufficient to prevent grassland bird declines

Grassland birds are in steep decline throughout many regions of the world. In North America, even some common species have declined by >50% over the last few decades. Declines in grassland bird populations have generally been attributed to widespread agricultural conversion of grasslands; more than 80% of North American grasslands have been converted to agriculture and other land uses, for example. Remaining large grasslands should thus be especially important to the conservation of grassland birds. The Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma (USA) preserves the largest intact tallgrass prairie (∼2 million ha) left in the world. The Flint Hills supports a major cattle industry, however, and therefore experiences widespread grazing and frequent burning. We assessed the regional population status of three grassland birds that are considered the core of the avian community in this region (Dickcissel, Spiza americana; Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum; Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna). Our approach is founded on a demographic analysis that additionally explores how to model variability in empirically derived estimates of reproductive success across a large heterogeneous landscape, which ultimately requires the translation of demographic data from local (plot) to regional scales. We found that none of these species is demographically viable at a regional scale under realistic assumptions, with estimated population declines of 3-29%/year and a likelihood of regional viability of 0-45% over the two years of study. Current land-management practices may thus be exacerbating grassland bird declines by degrading habitat in even large grassland remnants. Habitat area is thus no guarantee of population viability in landscapes managed predominantly for agricultural or livestock production.     

Distribution patterns, range size and niche breadth of Austrian endemic plants

Endemic species are not a uniform group in terms of range size, habitat preferences, and ecological plasticity. Based on a recent inventory of endemic vascular plant species in Austria, we analysed distribution patterns, altitudinal distribution and habitat preferences of endemic species and analysed the correlation of range size and niche breadth. The inventory includes 103 vascular plant taxa (species and subspecies) endemic to Austria.Grid cells (cell size ca. 35 km²) with highest taxon numbers (max. 25 taxa) are limited to the Northeastern Calcareous Alps, whereas highest numbers of acidophilous endemics occur in the easternmost high-mountain chains of the Central Alps. The majority of endemics (61 taxa; 59.2%) are found on calcareous bedrock, 6 taxa (5.8%) on intermediate substrates, and 29 (28.2%) on siliceous bedrock. The range size of endemic vascular plant taxa is strongly skewed towards very narrow distributions – 45 taxa are restricted to <20 grid cells. Average range sizes differ markedly between endemics of different broad habitat types, endemics of habitats with limited and patchy distribution (serpentine vegetation, dry grassland) having the smallest ranges.The altitudinal distribution of endemic plant taxa peaks at high altitudes, in the subalpine and lower alpine altitude belt. Below the tree line, endemics predominantly colonize extra- and azonal dry or wet habitats, whereas above the tree line, zonal alpine grassland and azonal vegetation types (scree, rocks, snowbeds) are equally essential to the endemic flora. Niche breadth of endemics is positively, however moderately, correlated with range size. This correlation is stronger for the altitudinal distribution than for the number of habitats colonized.The distribution patterns and ecology of endemics differ considerably from overall biodiversity patterns and must be addressed appropriately in conservation strategies. Small niche-breadths and the specific habitat requirements of endemics of very localized distribution render these taxa highly vulnerable to climate change.     

The impacts of forest clearance on lizard, small mammal and bird communities in the arid spiny forest, southern Madagascar

Madagascar is a global biodiversity hotspot threatened by forest loss, degradation and fragmentation, all of which are detrimental to the future survival of forest-dwelling organisms. For conservation purposes it is essential to determine how species respond to habitat disturbance, specifically deforestation. In this study we investigated the impacts of deforestation on three vertebrate communities, lizards, small mammals and birds, in an area of spiny forest subjected to anthropogenic forest clearance. Spiny forest has high levels of endemism, but conservation in this unique ecosystem is hindered by the lack of research. We undertook standardised trapping, time-constrained and timed species searches to assess species richness, species abundance and community composition of lizards, small mammals and birds in six areas of ‘forest’ and six ‘cleared’ areas. From surveys and opportunistic sightings we recorded a total of 70 species of birds, 14 species of mammals and 38 species of reptiles and amphibians. We found forest clearing to have a negative effect on species richness and community structure of all groups and identified loss of canopy cover as a driving factor behind this. However, the response and sensitivity to clearing varied between groups and species. Lizards (50%) and small mammals (40%) had the greatest decline in species richness in response to clearing as compared to birds (26%), although birds showed the greatest shift in community structure. The community in cleared areas contained more generalist and introduced species that have wider geographic ranges and habitat preferences, than those unique to the spiny forest. We found the first suite of species to suffer from forest clearance were those of high conservation priority due to their restricted geographic range. Our findings are discussed in relation to future spiny forest conservation and management.     

Geographic associations of breeding bird distribution in an urban open space

The Puente-Chino Hills, extending west into the highly urbanized Los Angeles Basin, represent one of the largest expanses of lowland habitats in the region. During spring and early summer of 1997 and 1998, birds and vegetation surveys were conducted to clarify the influence of geographical position in the distribution of birds in the hills. Using logistic regression, the inclusion of longitudinal position as a variable is shown to make a statistically significant contribution to bird species presence beyond that of habitat alone for 12 of the 49 most commonly detected species. Species more common than would be expected based on habitat in the east were typical of grassland and open habitats, whereas those more common in the west were characteristic of tall scrub or urban habitats. Thus, species’ distributions in the hills are likely influenced by landscape-scale vegetation patterns and by the aggregate amount of urbanized areas in the west. This emphasizes the importance of using geographical position as a variable when analyzing patterns in bird distribution and siting conservation areas.     

The status and conservation of the butterfly Plebejus argus L. (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in North West Britain

A survey was made of the declining butterfly, Plebejus argus L., in North West Britain in 1983. Twenty-six colonies were found on limestone grassland, many of them large. Twenty colonies were found on heathland, but most were relatively small. One large colony that inhabits mossland was rediscovered. P. argus occupies early succesional habitat at low altitude, predominantly on sheltered southerly facing slopes. Through biotope loss and fragmentation and declining traditional management, suitable habitat is created only sporadically in modern Britain. Some of these habitats (especially on heathland) are short lived. Thus, many colonies are transient. As P. argus forms closed colonies and rarely flies far, the decline appears to be a compound effect of reduced amounts of suitable habitat and inability to colonise them: the distances are often too great. Active conservation is required to check the decline of P. argus, especially habitat management and also introduction to suitable habitat now beyond the dispersal range of P. argus. Recommendations are made.     

A large-scale conservation perspective considering endemic fishes of the North American plains

Regions with unique habitats often harbor endemic taxa associated with temporally stable habitats. We identified such habitats that sustain endemic fishes in the plains of North America. We also summarized threats to their conservation and identified remnant habitats that still harbor endemic fishes (refuges) based on post-1989 surveys. Major springs, smaller, spring-fed streams, larger rivers, and euryhaline habitats were associated with a total of 49 endemics. Endemism was attributable to climatic refugia associated with each habitat type and dispersal limitation among major river drainages and springs. Forty-one endemic fishes (84%) were declining or extinct. Dewatering, habitat fragmentation, and habitat degradation were main causes of declines, often present together. Pollution and non-native species were also threats in many cases. Evidence for 53 existing refuges was found. We considered 34 refuges to be “high-quality” because they harbored three or more endemics. Twenty of these (those with available data) maintained consistent streamflow regimes for at least 50 years up to 2009. Case studies suggest high stream length, more natural flow regimes, and fewer direct human impacts are features of high-quality refuges, but extinction thresholds are unquantified and extinction debts of refuges are unknown. Limited information on past extinctions suggests drought, a natural feature of the plains, combines with other threats to eliminate remnant endemic populations. Long-term conservation planning requires identification, protection, and restoration of high-quality refuges to reduce extinction risk, especially during future drought periods. Planning should be integrated with regional water resource planning, given scarcity of water in the region.     

The pattern of the decline of the korrigum Damaliscus lunatus in West Africa

Until the early 20th century the korrigum Damaliscus lunatus was one of the commonest ungulates in grassland habitats in West Africa. It occurred continuously in the Sahel and Sudan vegetation zones from Senegal to Cameroun. It is now extinct throughout most of its former range and occurs only as a relict population in a single locality. It has declined in inverse relation to the growth of cattle-based human societies in its main habitat. The contraction of the range of the species is documented and the causes of its extirpation are discussed in relation to the general problems of conserving large wild mammals in the region.     

The decline of the sand lizard, Lacerta agilis L. Population on the sand dunes of the Merseyside coast,England

The population of the sand lizard Lacerta agilis in northwest England has declined sharply since 1930. The reasons for this decline are considered.Between Southport and the River Alt, approximately 50% of the sand dune habitat has been destroyed and a further 12% modified since 1801. Habitat losses resulting from building developments help to explain the sand lizard decline. The species has also disappeared from areas still supporting dune habitat. Here a combination of factors appear responsible, the effects of which are not uniform throughout the dune system.It is concluded that, in conjunction with a trend of less favourable climate over the last 15 years, habitat destruction, fragmentation and change of quality have brought about a catastrophic decline in the sand lizard population within the last 20 years. It is predicted that this population will become extinct before 2000 unless present trends are halted and adequate conservation measures taken.     

Preferred nesting sites of bumblebee queens (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in agroecosystems in the UK

Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) have undergone a documented Europe-wide decline in recent years, mostly attributable to destruction of forage and nest sites caused by agricultural intensification. This study was set up to quantify species-specific nest-site preferences of observed UK species for various types of field and forest boundary habitat. In total, 1287 observations were made of seven common bumblebee species; nest-searching behaviour was taken as being indicative of nest site preference. There was interspecific variation in preferred habitat, with some species found to be much more specific in their choice of nest site than others. A strong association was found between those species that are known to prefer subterraneous nesting and those habitats that contained banks (Bombus terrestris, B. lapidarius and B. lucorum); other species were strongly associated with tussock-type vegetation (B. pascuorum, B. hortorum and B. ruderarius). In order to safeguard the continued existence of bumblebee species it is clear that a variety of field and forest boundary types need to be conserved; this has positive implications for the conservation of other species of flora and fauna associated with agroecosystems.     

Temporal and spatial variation in carabid assemblages from the United Kingdom Environmental Change Network

This paper presents analyses of the data from the first 7 years of the UK Environmental Change Network (ECN) carabid monitoring programme. The 10 ECN terrestrial sites for which results are available represent a wide range of habitats, from lowland arable farmland to upland moorland, and correspondence analysis reveals the strong association between habitat and species composition. At all sites carabid assemblages are dominated by a small proportion of the species found at the site. There are strong year-to-year fluctuations in the proportions of individual species and a large percentage of species are observed only sporadically. This has major implications for the conservation and monitoring of carabids. Simple summary statistics, such as species richness or diversity do not adequately reflect variation in species composition and are unlikely to respond quickly to environmental change. The considerable annual variation makes the detection of relationships with sources of environmental change a difficult task, particularly for the rarer species of primary conservation interest. Analysis should therefore include measures based on the dominant species to provide an early warning system for environmental change.     

Land use and conservation value for forest birds in Central Sulawesi (Indonesia)

Unprecedented deforestation is currently underway in Southeast Asia. Since this trend is likely to continue, it is critical to determine the value of human-modified habitats (e.g., mixed-rural habitat) for conserving the regional native forest avifauna. The impacts of ongoing deforestation on the highly endemic avifauna (33%) of Sulawesi (Indonesia) are poorly understood. We sampled birds in primary and secondary forests in the Lore Lindu National Park in central Sulawesi, as well as the surrounding plantation and mixed-rural habitats. Species richness, species density and population density of forest birds showed a consistent decreasing trend in the following order: primary forests > secondary forests > mixed-rural habitat > plantations. Although primary forests contained the highest proportion (85%) of a total of 34 forest species recorded from our point count surveys, 40-yr old secondary forests and the mixed-rural habitat showed high conservation potential, containing 82% and 76% of the forest species, respectively. Plantations recorded only 32% of the forest bird species. Fifteen forest species had the highest abundance in primary forests, while two species had higher abundance outside primary forests. Our simulations revealed that all forest birds that were sensitive to native tree cover could be found in areas with at least 20% continuous native tree cover. Our study shows that although primary forests have the highest conservation value for forest avifauna, the potential of degraded habitats, such as secondary forests and the mixed-rural habitat, for conserving forest species can be enhanced with appropriate land use and management decisions.     

Effects of non-cropped landscape diversity on spatial dynamics of farmland birds in intensive farming systems

Increasing habitats diversity in agricultural landscapes has been proposed as a key measure for reversing the decline of farmland biodiversity in Europe. However, indicators used for assessing such a potential compensation effect usually only rely on species diversity and abundance while ignoring variations in species-specific vulnerability. The extent to which habitat diversity may reverse the decline of specialist species in Europe to farming systems is thus still unclear. In this study, we investigate whether the effect of non-cropped habitat diversity on farmland birds’ occurrences was dependent on species’ specialization for habitats. In particular, we focused on the relative effects of non-cropped habitat diversity on species’ abilities to persist or to colonize new vacant areas. We used a capture-recapture statistical framework to study the spatial dynamics of 20 farmland bird species in France monitored from 2001 to 2007. We found that non-cropped landscape diversity reduces both the probabilities that a species becomes extinct locally and that a species colonizes new vacant areas, and the occupancy rate. Although this suggests a possible stabilizing effect of the surrounding habitat diversity on species occurrence in farming systems, the occupancy was only weakly affected. Moreover, we found that the most specialist species were the more negatively affected by this landscape diversity in terms of colonization abilities. We argue that accounting for the differences in habitat specialization among farmland species can improve conservation policies dedicated to the management of landscape diversity.