Power-line corridors as source habitat for butterflies in forest landscapes

Berg, Åke; Bergman, Karl‐Olof; Wissman, Jörgen; Żmihorski, Michał; Öckinger, Erik

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2016.07.034

Cited by 35 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The explanation for the positive effect of forest cover is that open areas in the forest, such as clear-cuts, powerline corridors, glades and bogs, may serve as alternative habitats for grassland butterfly species (e.g. Marini et al 2009;Jonason et al 2010;Ibbe et al 2011;van Halder et al 2011;Berg et al 2016;Viljur and Teder 2016;Lampinen et al 2018). This is a reasonable assumption, as vegetation in clear-cuts can be rich in both nectar and host plants (Ibbe et al 2011, Jonason et al 2014.…”

Section: Butterfly Richnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Butterflies in Swedish grasslands benefit from forest and respond to landscape composition at different spatial scales

et al. 2018

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Context Loss and fragmentation of semi-natural grasslands has critically affected many butterfly species in Europe. Habitat area and isolation can have strong effects on the local biodiversity but species may also be strongly affected by the surrounding matrix. Objectives We explored how different land cover types in the landscape explained the occurrence of butterfly species in semi-natural grasslands. Methods Using data from 476 semi-natural grasslands in Sweden, we analysed the effect of matrix composition on species richness and occurrence. Additionally, we analysed at which spatial scales butterflies responded to matrix types (forests, seminatural grasslands, arable land and water). Results Forest cover showed the strongest positive effect on species richness, followed by semi-natural grasslands. Forest also had a positive effect on red-listed species at local scales. Responses to matrix composition were highly species-specific. The majority of the 30 most common species showed strong positive responses to the amount of forest cover within 200-500 m. There was a smaller group of species showing a positive response to arable land cover within 500-2000 m. Thirteen species showed positive responses to the amount of semi-natural grasslands, generally at larger scales (10-30 km). Conclusions Our study showed that surrounding forest is beneficial for many grassland butterfly species and that forests might mitigate the negative effects of habitat loss caused by agricultural intensification. Also, semi-natural grasslands were an important factor for species richness at larger spatial scales, indicating that a landscape consisting mainly of supporting habitats (i.e. forests) are insufficient to sustain a rich butterfly fauna.

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Section: Butterfly Richnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Butterflies in Swedish grasslands benefit from forest and respond to landscape composition at different spatial scales

et al. 2018

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“…Human disturbance, especially habitat destruction through land use changes, is considered one of the most important drivers of declines in wild pollinator populations (Goulson et al 2008, Winfree et al 2009, Potts et al 2010). However, it is increasingly recognized that plant communities associated with human infrastructure, such as power-line clearings, can function as alternative habitats for pollinating insects (Wagner et al 2014a, Berg et al 2016, Hill and Bartomeus 2016, Sydenham et al 2016, Russell et al 2018). The woody vegetation under power lines is subject to frequent maintenance clearing, which keeps the plant communities at an early successional stage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Different cutting regimes improve species and functional diversity of insect‐pollinated plants in power‐line clearings

et al. 2018

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To mitigate biodiversity loss, it is essential to understand how areas altered by human land use can act as alternative habitats for functional groups of species, which are in decline. In forested landscapes, power‐line clearings can be valuable habitats for early successional plant species, which in turn provide important food resources for pollinating insects. However, we know little about how management practices affect plant diversity, or how changes in species diversity translate into the functional diversity of floral resources. We conducted an experiment at 19 sites in power‐line clearings across southeast Norway where the woody vegetation was (1) cut and left to decay, (2) cut and removed, or (3) uncut. We assessed the effects of treatments on species diversity (richness, evenness, diversity) and functional diversity (functional evenness, functional dispersion) of understory plant communities of insect‐pollinated plants. We also investigated the influence of environmental conditions within the power‐line clearings, the surrounding landscape, and climatic factors on species and functional diversity. We found that the cut and cut–remove treatments were effective in increasing biological diversity of insect‐pollinated plants. The species and functional diversity showed contrasting responses to treatments, and the treatment effects depended on the environmental context. This shows that ecosystem functioning is not necessarily predictable from the ecological processes that drive species composition. The treatment effects on species diversity were partly explained by the stress‐gradient hypothesis; species richness was higher in the cleared plots in areas of low environmental stress from precipitation and elevation. In contrast, the treatment effects on functional diversity were positively influenced by productivity, stem density, temperature, available source habitats, elevation, and canopy density. Functional diversity, based on effect traits, should be emphasized when the aim is to maintain a broad range of pollination functions and services in power‐line clearings. This study shows that inclusion of power‐line clearings in conservation plans can mitigate biodiversity decline in forested landscapes. We recommend the cut–remove treatment in productive areas with available source habitats and high stem density. In low productive areas, with high stem density and high temperatures, the standard cut treatment is sufficient, but a higher cutting frequency is recommended.

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“…However, as is the case in the studied mown firebreak, if the area of managed grassland is limited, it may not be enough to support all the endangered grassland species. Several studies have reported that grasslands mown every 4–8 years play a significant role in conserving diverse grassland butterflies (van Halder et al , ; Berg et al , , ). More labor‐saving management is applicable to grasslands with slow vegetational succession for conserving grassland biodiversity.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is well known that plentiful nectaring flowers and host plants as essential resources for adults and larvae promote butterfly richness and abundance (Kuussaari et al ; Soga et al ; Berg et al ). In this study, only flowering plant species richness was recorded on each survey in each transect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These studies have traditionally focused on meadows and pastures for conserving grassland organisms (Berg et al ). Because of severe declines in semi‐natural grasslands, linear grasslands, such as traditionally managed grassy levees, firebreaks and power‐line corridors, have recently attracted attention as alternative habitats for small mammals (Clarke et al ), plants (Eldegard et al ), bees (Russell et al ), and butterflies (van Halder et al ; Berg et al , ; Lensu et al ; Uchida & Ushimaru ; Villemey et al ), including endangered species. However, only a limited number of studies have been conducted in Europe to evaluate the relative importance of these linear grasslands compared to non‐linear, large semi‐natural grasslands (Berg et al , , ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of linear mown firebreaks in conserving butterfly diversity: Effects of adjacent vegetation and management

Ohwaki

Hayami²,

Kitahara

et al. 2017

Entomological Science

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Semi‐natural grasslands are vital for maintaining grassland butterflies in Japan, as well as in Europe. However, severe decline in these grassland environments has recently attracted attention to linear grasslands, such as firebreaks and power‐line corridors, as alternative habitats for grassland insects. We surveyed butterflies in an abandoned grassland and nearby linear mown firebreaks adjacent to different vegetation at the northern foot of Mt. Fuji, central Japan, over 5 successive years, particularly focusing on species on the 2012 Japanese Red List of Threatened Species (“red‐list” species). We found that the firebreaks were consistently higher in species richness and abundance of butterflies than the long‐term abandoned grassland, and that species composition differed among the firebreaks depending on conditions of the adjacent vegetation. The firebreaks surrounded by forests were mainly utilized by forest and edge species, whereas the firebreaks adjacent to the grassland were essential for conserving red‐list grassland species. Thus, only the mown firebreaks adjacent to the grassland were regarded as a high‐quality alternative habitat for many grassland butterflies, but the area was limited. Therefore, creating heterogeneity in the abandoned grassland by infrequent mowing could help conserve grassland butterflies, including red‐list species.

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Power-line corridors as source habitat for butterflies in forest landscapes

Cited by 35 publications

References 42 publications

Butterflies in Swedish grasslands benefit from forest and respond to landscape composition at different spatial scales

Butterflies in Swedish grasslands benefit from forest and respond to landscape composition at different spatial scales

Different cutting regimes improve species and functional diversity of insect‐pollinated plants in power‐line clearings

The role of linear mown firebreaks in conserving butterfly diversity: Effects of adjacent vegetation and management

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