Summary

Summary

This report presents the European Grassland

Butterfly 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 grassland
biodiversity. 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,
2have remained stable and 1 increased. For six
species the trend is uncertain.

Photo:

The main driver behind the decline of grassland

butterflies 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 grasslands for biodiversity.
Grassland butterflies thus mainly survive in
traditionally farmed low-input systems (High
Nature Value (HNV) Farmland) as well as
nature reserves, and on marginal land such as
road verges and amenity areas.

Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon), Eifel, Germany, 26 July 2008 Chris van Swaay

The European Grassland Butterfly Indicator: 19902011