Heterogeneity is key to supporting forest-dweller butterflies

Abstract

Worldwide, forests are considered biodiversity hotspots. Butterflies are among the surrogate species for forest biodiversity yet in many parts of the world, little is known about the presence or habitat use of forest-dweller butterflies. In this study we aimed to narrow the information gap by applying a time-effective butterfly survey in forests in northeast Türkiye that are surrounded by several prime butterfly areas. The target species were Boloria euphrosyne, Coenonympha arcania, Erebia aethiops, and Satyrium ilicis. The surveys provided 128 records of the species. Random forests models showed that the mean temperature of the warmest month, canopy cover of pine trees, tree size, and managed meadows in or at the edge of forests are important parameters for species occurrence. Nevertheless, the direction of the effects varied between species. Maintaining heterogeneity in forests in terms of the forest variables indicated above and promoting small-scale grassland management in forest openings and edges are important conservation measures for forest-dwelling butterflies. The relevance of the temperature suggests that climate change may have significant effects on the occurrence of forest butterflies. Key words: Habitat use, Hay meadows, Forest structure, Erebia aethiops, Satyrium ilicis, Coenonympha arcania