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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Mobility, habitat selection and population connectivity of the butterfly Lycaena helle in central Sweden
Contributor:
Modin, Hanna;
Öckinger, Erik
imprint:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020
Published in:Journal of Insect Conservation
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1007/s10841-020-00254-y
ISSN:
1366-638X;
1572-9753
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>To be able to predict habitat quality and potential distribution of threatened species is key to developing successful conservation strategies for threatened species with fragmented distributions. The aim of this study was to assess factors that limit the local distribution and density of <jats:italic>Lycaena helle</jats:italic>, an endangered butterfly, in central Sweden, and to estimate its mobility in order to classify local populations according to their importance for the connectivity on a regional level. An additional aim was to test if <jats:italic>L. helle</jats:italic> habitat quality could be assessed using remotely-sensed data such as laser scanning (LiDAR). We derived potential predictors of <jats:italic>L. helle</jats:italic> occurrence from laser scanning data and used a resource selection function to assess their predictive power. We used a mark-recapture approach to study <jats:italic>L. helle</jats:italic> movement and estimate dispersal distances. The probability of occurrence of <jats:italic>L. helle</jats:italic> increased with higher solar irradiation and was negatively affected by sloping terrain, but the LiDAR data generally had low predictive power. Population density increased with host plant density, but this effect was weak. The mark-recapture study confirmed that <jats:italic>L. helle</jats:italic> is very sedentary, with a mean movement distance of only 114 m and a maximum of 600 m. The studied population extends over a large network of interconnected linear habitats, which probably facilitates dispersal and thereby population persistence. Our study highlight the importance of a warm micro-climate and of man-made habitats like road verges and power-line corridors for the conservation of <jats:italic>L. helle</jats:italic>.</jats:p>