A REVIEW OF BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION IN CENTRAL SOUTHERN BRITAIN .2. SITE MANAGEMENT AND HABITAT SELECTION OF KEY SPECIES

Management for conservation, habitat selection and use of agricultural land is examined on 308 sites in fragmented habitats in southern Brit ain for 29 key butterfly species. About 32% of calcicolous grassland s ites were unmanaged and 21% were only partly managed either for agricu lture or conservation. Corresponding figures for neutral-acidophilous grasslands were 42% and 10%. Although there have been short-term gains for some species preferring longer turf the habitats on such sites ar e steadily deteriorating with serious implications for butterflies as well as the characteristic plant and animal communities they support. On managed sites, little obvious preference was found between sheep an d cattle grazing for most species, but the latter was prevalent on sit es with Eurodryas aurinia and Cupido minimus. Although most key specie s prefer slopes with a southerly aspect in the study area, E. aurinia seems to prefer westerly and Hamearis lucina northerly aspects. Two-th irds of the woodlands covered had been extensively replanted, mostly w ith alien conifer species but were still valuable, particularly for sp ecies requiring clearings in woods. Such species have been greatly red uced by recent changes in forest practice (notably the cessation of co ppicing) and are expected to decline further in the future because of the transient nature of their current habitats. Possible solutions are discussed including the need for a conservation strategy for butterfl ies and appropriate management of fragmented habitats.