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HOME » How to get involved » Wider Countryside Monitoring - pilot study
Wider Countryside Monitoring - pilot study
News:
**2008 resurveys to go ahead** The pilot study has resulted in a new method that could produce unbiased abundance estimates for wider countryside species across the UK landscape. To further test the method and enable comparisons with the existing transect scheme we would like to invite recorders that took part in 2007 to resurvey their squares in 2008.
Background
The Small Copper – one of a number
of
wider countryside species
in decline
Through the UKBMS project, Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology have been developing a method for a new monitoring scheme that aims to more effectively monitor the changing abundance of widespread butterfly species across the general countryside.
This proposed new scheme would run parallel with UKBMS transect monitoring, which is very effective at monitoring habitat specialist butterflies and lowland semi-natural habitats, and the BNM project which will continue to act as the main source of information on where butterflies live.
Wider countryside monitoring is being organised in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
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New monitoring is required, to more
accurately assess the changing
abundance of butterflies in lowland
pasture and other widespread
habitats.
Strong emphasis has been placed on designing a scheme that is both scientifically sound (by objectively sampling of the countryside through random sampling) and efficient (a scheme with fewer visits to account for the fact that butterfly species are now uncommon across much of the general countryside).
Through consulting widely in 2005/6 and a successful pilot in 2007, the method we have come up with so far is very similar to the BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey (the ‘BBS’), counting along two parallel 1-km long transects subdivided into 10 sections, located within randomly selected 1-km squares. The differences being that butterflies are counted in a more restricted area than for birds and at different times of the day. Only 2-4 visits are required compared to 26 on transects.
We are grateful to the BTO and the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM - http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/) for providing helpful advice on the design of a wider countryside monitoring scheme.
Over 250 volunteers took part in the
pilot studies in 2007
310 squares surveyed in 2007 by BC (green circles)
and BTO (blue squares) recorders
Good coverage was achieved across Great Britain with 310 squares surveyed. In total 181 BBS squares were surveyed by 165 recorders, nearly double the prediction, and only 33 squares received just one visit. 99 squares were surveyed by 86 recorders in the four selected Butterfly Conservation Branches (Highland, Norfolk, South Wales, Somerset and Bristol) with a further 30 completed by staff (total= 129). 50 squares were visited during May-June to pick up early flying species. The majority of squares were in England (258) followed by Wales (31), Scotland (20) and one square in Northern Ireland.
In spite of the poor weather 42 butterfly species were seen across the UK, including nearly all of the target wider countryside species (excluding the White-letter Hairstreak), plus a good range of migrants and rarer species such as the Large Heath and White Admiral. On average nearly 100 butterflies and ten species were seen per square based on two summer visits, showing that taking part in this survey in the future should produce a good diversity of butterflies for recorders. There were, however, 15 squares where the recorder saw no butterflies on single visits, although at the other extreme one recorder in Kent counted a staggering 672 butterflies on one visit. The most species rich squares were in Norfolk and Somerset both with 15 species recorded on single visits. Of particular interest was the high occupancy rates (percentage squares occupied) of the Small Heath butterfly (20%) and the Wall Brown (5%) which are UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species in decline. It wasn’t just butterflies that caught recorder’s eyes - dragonflies were recorded on more than 50% of squares and day-flying moths were recorded on a quarter of squares.
The good coverage achieved in 2007 means that a suitable baseline has been created for the UK. Therefore it is important to resurvey the squares this year that were surveyed in 2007. Furthermore 2 years of data from the random squares will allow us to compare trends from the wider countryside with those on semi-natural habitats. If you agreed to take part last year then you will be receiving information soon with detailing how to take part again. We don’t have funding to expand the pilot across the whole country in 2008 but if you are really keen but didn’t take part last year then get in touch.
You can help us develop this important new monitoring scheme by field-testing the survey method. For more information please contact the co-ordinator:
Dr Katie Cruickshanks
Wider Countryside Co-ordinator
Butterfly Conservation
Manor Yard
East Lulworth
Wareham
Dorset
BH20 5QP
Tel: 01929 406036
Email: kcruickshanks@butterfly-conservation.org
The online data entry system is currently being updated and it will be up and running in time for the 2008 field season.
Instructions and recording forms for 2008 coming soon.
