Butterflies (Lepidoptera) highlight the ecological value of shrubland and grassland mosaics in Cypriot garrigue ecosystems

Title:

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) highlight the ecological value of shrubland and grassland mosaics in Cypriot garrigue ecosystems

Creator:

Özden, Özge and Hodgson, David J.

Identifier:

https://cdk.lib.cas.cz/client/handle/uuid:2200e60c-0f4f-4095-a5a2-e0f5de5db60f
uuid:2200e60c-0f4f-4095-a5a2-e0f5de5db60f

Subject:

Zoologie, entomologie, Kypr, Cyprus, Butterflies, Lepidoptera, garrigue, habitat, conservation, 2, and 59

Type:

article, články, model:article, and TEXT

Description:

We used butterfly assemblages to evaluate the ecological value of habitat mosaics within garrigue ecosystems in Cyprus. To understand the importance of the local plant communities for Cypriot butterflies, five plots in each of two habitat types (grass-dominated or shrub-dominated) were surveyed weekly for a period of five months in order to assess the abundance, species richness and diversity of butterflies. A total of 810 butterflies of 16 species were recorded. Indices of butterfly diversity, calculated across the whole season, were similar between grassland and shrubland dominated mosaics. However, species richness of all butterflies was consistently higher in grassland dominated mosaics throughout the whole season. The peak abundance of all butterfly species occurred during mid-season (late April - early May), with similar numbers observed in both habitat types. However, a greater abundance was observed during early and late season in grassland patches. The abundance of endemic species (Maniola cypricola, Hipparchia cypriensis, Glaucopsyche paphos) peaked earlier in the season in shrubland patches, but was higher in grassland patches in late season. This difference in seasonal timing of endemic abundance was dominated by the seasonal dynamics of M. cypricola. These results suggest that, while garrigue is characterised by its shrub flora, management to maintain a mosaic of grassland and shrubland could act to maximise the abundance and richness of indicator species groups of conservation importance. and Özge Özden, David J. Hodgson.

Language:

English

Rights:

http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
policy:public

Source:

European Journal of Entomology | 2011 Volume:108 | Number:3

Harvested from:

CDK

Metadata only:

false