Recent land use changes, namely the intensification of agriculture and forestry as well as the abandonment of traditional grassland management methods, have resulted in the decline of butterfly diversity in Europe. Appropriate management of butterfly habitats is thus required in order to reverse this negative trend. The aim of our study was to review the available literary information concerning the effects of various types of management on European butterflies of conservation concern, and to provide practical recommendations for the management of butterfly habitats. Since vegetation succession is a major threat to butterfly populations, there is a need for activities to suppress this process. Extensive grazing and rotational mowing, which imitate the traditional way of meadow use, appear to be the most suitable management in this respect. Both grazing and mowing should optimally be of low intensity and follow a mosaic design, with different land fragments being successively used at different times. Habitat disturbance through trampling, either associated with grazing or various sporting activities (hiking, biking, horse riding), or through occasional small-area burning, also prove to be beneficial for many butterflies. In the case of woodland species, maintaining open habitats within forests (glades, clearings, wide road verges) and thinning forest stands is recommended. Among the unfavourable management activities identified, the most harmful are afforestation of open lands and drainage works. Therefore, such activities must be stopped at butterfly sites in order to ensure the effective conservation of species of conservation concern.
A survey to test customers´ experience and preferences regarding food insects in the Czech Republic has revealed that 37.8% of the 1,340 respondents had experienced eating insects. Although more than half of the respondents reported their experience as being positive, only 11.8% consumed insects regularly. Of those who had no experience with edible insects, 14% stated their willingness to taste insects. Regarding preferences, ground insects or insect meal were the favourite forms of consumption, regardless of the species. From a sociodemographic point of view, age and gender significantly influenced the responses; younger people and men reported more positive attitudes towards entomophagy than older people and women. Regarding eating whole insects, processed crickets, katydids and locusts were the top-rated insects. Cockroaches were the least popular choice. The majority (77.7%) of the respondents also claimed that they would not mind consuming meat products originating from livestock that were fed insects.
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