Adaption of grassland butterflies to climate change

Image: Traditionally managed semi-natural grasslands harbour a high biodiversity, and often also red-listed plants, butterflies and other insect species. Photo: Miska Luoto

Given the long-term decline trend in semi-natural grasslands due to agricultural intensification and abandonment of marginal areas in Finland (as in other parts of Europe), several grassland species are likely to face difficulties in migrating across fragmented landscapes to new climatically suitable areas. Based on the outputs from bioclimatic envelope models, spatially dynamic simulation models and associated GIS analysis, this case study will broadly assess in which particular areas species may face difficulties in regional population persistence and/or dispersal. For these identified areas, we will evaluate by how much, and in which precise locations, new management or conservation efforts could be targeted to enhance, cost-effectively, the maintenance of biodiversity.

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The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 244012