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Cited by 96Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesLepidoptera: Biology and TaxonomyPlant and animal studies

Long-term land-use changes and extinction of specialised butterflies

NILSSON, SVEN G., FRANZÉN, MARKUS, JÖNSSON, EMMA·2008·Insect Conservation and Diversity
DOI 10.1111/j.1752-4598.2008.00027.x
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Abstract

Abstract. Land‐use change in 450 ha in southern Sweden between 1814 and 2004 was recorded. Butterflies and burnet moths were surveyed in 1904–1913 and 2001–2005. We explore if local extinctions were related to land‐use changes and species attributes. Land use changed drastically over the 190‐year period, and the largest relative change occurred for hay meadows with late harvest, which decreased from 28% to 0%. The area changed from grasslands and grazed forests to being dominated by timber forests. Previous open grazed mixed woodlands changed to spruce plantations with clear‐cuts. Of the 48 resident butterfly and burnet moths found a century ago, 44% have become extinct. The extinct Aporia cratægi , Colias palaeno , and Leptidea sinapis were abundant 100 years ago and had their highest densities in flower‐rich glades in forest, a habitat which no longer exists. The butterfly extinctions could be predicted from species‐specific attributes as a short flight length period ( P < 0.02), narrow habitat breadth ( P < 0.02), small distribution area in Europe ( P = 0.033) and possibly larvae food plant nitrogen class ( P < 0.06). In a multiple logistic regression, the flight length period was the only significant variable because the independent variables were intercorrelated. We conclude that the most important factor explaining the high extinction rate is that flower‐rich habitats have disappeared from both woodlands as well as from open farmlands. The most sensitive species are specialised species with a short summer flight which have gone extinct. Only the most unspecialised species still persist in the current landscape.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1752-4598.2008.00027.x

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56 of 56 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Current data suggest an overall pattern of decline in insect diversity and abundance.

    “Current data suggest an overall pattern of decline in insect diversity and abundance.”

    From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [9]

  • Data for bees and moths suggest the same declining trend as for other well-studied taxa.

    “Data for other well-studied taxa such as bees [8–14] and moths [15–18] suggest the same trend.”

    From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [9]

  • The analysis renders landscape and climate change as unlikely explanatory factors for the major decline in aerial insect biomass in the investigated protected areas.

    “In light of previously suggested driving mechanisms, our analysis renders two of the prime suspects, i.e. landscape [9, 18, 20] and climate change [15, 18, 21, 37], as unlikely explanatory factors for this major decline in aerial insect biomass in the investigated protected areas.”

    From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [9]

  • While the gradual decline of rare insect species has been known for some time, the results illustrate an ongoing and rapid decline in the total amount of airborne insects active in space and time.

    “While the gradual decline of rare insect species has been known for quite some time (e.g. specialized butterflies [9, 66]), our results illustrate an ongoing and rapid decline in total amount of airborne insects active in space and time.”

    From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [9]

  • Recently reported declines in butterflies, wild bees and moths are in parallel with a severe loss of total aerial insect biomass, suggesting that the flying insect community as a whole has been decimated over the last few decades.

    “Our results demonstrate that recently reported declines in several taxa such as butterflies [7, 25–27, 58], wild bees [8–14] and moths [15–18], are in parallel with a severe loss of total aerial insect biomass, suggesting that it is not only the vulnerable species, but the flying insect community as a whole, that has been decimated over the last few decades.”

    From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [9]

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Authors
NILSSON, S. G., FRANZÉN, M., & JÖNSSON, E.
Affiliations
Lund University (SE)
Corresponding author
NILSSON, SVEN G.
ORCID
Venue
Insect Conservation and Diversity
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2008-10-24
Volume
1
Issue
4
Pages
197-207
ISSN
  • 1752-458X (ISSN-L)
  • 1752-4598
DOI
10.1111/j.1752-4598.2008.00027.x
OpenAlex
W1979737263
Cited by
96
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 2
FWCI
5.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Insect Conservation and Diversity (publishedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Vetenskapsrådet
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Plant and animal studies
Keywords
land use change, Zygaenidae, long-term ecological monitoring, hay meadows, late harvest, spruce plantations, clear-cutting, forest glades, flight period, habitat breadth, Colias palaeno, Leptidea sinapis, southern Sweden

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