Biotope use and trends of European butterflies

摘要: Europe has undergone substantial biotope loss and change over the last century data are needed urgently on rate of decline in different wildlife groups order to identify target conservation measures. However, pan-European available for very few taxonomic groups, notably birds. We present here first overview trends an insect group within biotopes across Europe, based from Red Data Book European Butterflies. The most important Europe’s 576 butterfly species, including threatened man-made or man-influenced, types grassland heath/scrub communities. Our results show that butterflies declining substantially with a distribution −11% 25 years. distributions “generalist” species only slowly (−1%) compared specialist (−19%), wetlands (−15%), forests (−14%). On average, have declined somewhat slower than farmland birds (annual decrease −0.8% −1.5%), but woodland decreased more rapidly (−0.01% −0.6%) birds, which less stable. sensitivity environmental changes availability suggest they good candidates build biodiversity indicators and, along other major such as suitable monitor progress towards EU halting by 2010.