Due to climate changes, butterflies are forced to move to new areas. Normally, butterflies are perfectly capable of arranging this themselves, but the current climate changes are simply to rapid for them to keep up.
Researchers studies the optimum habitat of two species of butterflies, the marbled white (Melanargia galathea) and the small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris). The optimum areas proved to be located much further up north, at a distance to great to travel on their own. Between 1999 and 2000, butterflies were captured and brought by car to their new home. The ‘assisted colonization’ all went according to plan. Migration by car may be able to help other animals as well when their surrounding becomes less and less suitable for them.
The research was held in cooperation of three British universities (Durham, York en Leeds), the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the Butterfly Conservation. The results are published in Conservation Letters.
Butterflies migrate by car
25maart2009
Two species of butterflies were taken by car to cooler areas in the North of Great Britain. Over a period of eight years, they were followed around in their new habitat. The extraordinaire method of relocating the butterflies proved successful.
