BUTTERFLY MONITORING

FROM A VOLUNTEER´S

PERSPECTIVE

Transecting while having fun with friends

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CONTENT

1. Introduction

2. Transects

3. Collected data

4. Example

5. Useful links

1. INTRODUCTION

Monitoring butterflies helps assess population-trends.

This allows the tracking of population-scale fluctuations

on a local, regional or national level.

These trends can be then used as indicators of

biodiversity and local environmental changes.

Butterflies are

particularly

vulnerable to habitat

fragmentation.

1. INTRODUCTION

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Many species are sensitive to

climate change, which is why

they were used and still are used

in models forecasting the

impact of climate change on

local fauna.

1. INTRODUCTION

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1. INTRODUCTION

Monitoring is based on a standard method that

can be used in the field, called Transect.

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Changes in the number of

butterflies can be easily

identified by regular

counting, on fixed routes,

known as transects.

2. TRANSECT

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2. TRANSECT

Transects should be chosen in an easily accessible area, close

to the volunteers residence, and are divided into parcels of

50 or 100 meters long and 5 meters wide. It is recommended

to meet the minimum number of 5 plots.

2. TRANSECT

Ideally counts should be done weekly.

Transects for individual species should be done only in

the period of activity of the target-species.

Transects can be done for counting all species or an

individual species and even for larvae and eggs.

2. TRANSECT

Conditions for walking a valid transect.

• Between 10:00h and 17:00h

• Temperature must exceed 13° C

• Degree of cloudiness should be less than 60%

• Wind speed less than 5 on the Beaufort scale

3. COLLECTED DATA

It is important that the counts made

become accessible for trend calculations

and analysis.

Combining data from several transects

improves data quality on a regional or

national level.

3. COLLECTED DATA

Data can be entered into the database on the website

"Butterfly Monitoring Recording webpage" via

www.bc-europe.eu

Data will be used for indicators at an European level

such ass "European Grassland Butterfly Indicator" and

"European Butterfly Climate Change Indicator"

4. EXAMPLE

5. USEFUL LINKS

http://bc-europe.eu/

http://fluturomania.wordpress.com/

http://www.lepidoptera.ro/

http://lepidoptera.eu/

http://lepiforum.de/