The European Grassland Butterfly Indicator: 1990–2011

This report presents the European GrasslandButterfly Indicator, based on national Butterfly Monitoring Schemes (BMS) in 19 countries across Europe, most of them in the European Union. The indicator shows that since 1990 till 2011 butterfly populations have declined by almost 50 %, indicating a dramatic loss of grasslandbiodiversity. This also means the situation has not improved since the first version of the indicator published in 2005. Of the 17 species, 8 have declined in Europe, 2 have remained stable and 1 increased. For six species the trend is uncertain. The main driver behind the decline of grasslandbutterflies is the change in rural land use: agricultural intensification where the land is relatively flat and easy to cultivate, and abandonment in mountains and wet areas, mainly in eastern and southern Europe. Agricultural intensification leads to uniform, almost sterile grasslandsfor biodiversity. Grasslandbutterflies thus mainly survive in traditionally farmed low‑input systems (High Nature Value (HNV) Farmland) as well as nature reserves, and on marginal landsuch as road vergesand amenity areas. (Less)