The Decline of Butterflies in Europe - The Crisis Deepens

Explore the alarming decline of butterfly populations across Europe in this 18-minute conference talk presented by Martin Warren from Butterfly Conservation Europe. Delve into comprehensive data on UK butterfly trends from 1976 to 2018, examining habitat loss since the 1950s and comparing butterfly declines to those of birds and plants. Analyze the European Red List of Butterflies, with a focus on threats shifting to Eastern and Northern Europe. Investigate the impact of nitrogen deposition and fragmentation on grassland habitats. Learn about landscape-scale conservation efforts in the UK, including agri-environment schemes and the successful recovery of the Large Blue butterfly. Gain insights into the European Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (eBMS) and the EU28 Grassland Butterfly Indicator, highlighting the urgent need for conservation action to protect these vital pollinators.

Intro
Talk outline
Trends in UK butterflies 1976-2018
Habitat loss in UK (since 1950)
Butterflies are declining faster than birds or plants
NL/BE worst case scenario!
European Red List of Butterflies
Threats shifting east Northern Europe
European grasslands
Grassland fragments, England
Nitrogen deposition
Decline of insects and butterflies
Landscape scale conservation in UK
Agri-environment schemes: key mechanism for restoration
Large Blue recovery Maculinea arion
European Butterfly eBMS Monitoring Scheme
European Grassland Butterfly Indicator EU28 Grassland Butterfly indicator