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Towards a Global Butterfly Indicator

UNEP-WCMC, Dutch Butterfly Conservation, GEO BON and EU BON recently convened a workshop of 14 global experts in butterfly monitoring, specifically in the tropics and subtropics. Hosted by GEO BON (Group on Earth Biodiversity Observation Network), the meeting was held at the offices of the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) in Leipzig, Germany 8-9 December 2014.

Blue Copper (Lycaena helle) – (c) Chris van Swaay

Blue Copper (Lycaena helle). Photograph by Chris van Swaay

The objective of the workshop was to develop a standardized, global set of butterfly monitoring guidelines, from which data could be aggregated through Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) which are measurements required for the study, reporting, and management of biodiversity change. In this case, the EBV will be ‘butterfly population abundance’ for groups of butterfly species and it is used to facilitate the harmonization of butterfly monitoring data from different habitat types and regions. The ultimate goal is the development of a Global Butterfly Indicator.

Butterfly populations have been monitored in Europe for over 35 years using standardized protocols. Monitoring has produced long-term datasets and resulted in indicators tracking the changes in butterfly populations. These are vital for informing decision-makers on biodiversity changes and are used at local, national and regional levels to inform conservation management decisions and policies. However, these protocols are not applicable in regions where butterfly species diversity is high, such as the tropics.

To track global trends, a standard set of methodologies is required to produce data which can be aggregated through the Essential Biodiversity Variable into a Global Butterfly Indictor. Therefore an agreement on which methodologies could be applied globally is needed and the 14 global experts attending the workshop shared their experience of working in tropics and sub-tropics.

To find a methodology that can be applied globally, the experts conducted an overview of the different protocols to evaluate their compatibility and agree on a standard set. They also looked at the steps involved in processing count data into indicators and trends, and discussed which variables are essential for measuring changes in butterfly populations. These discussions had to take into consideration the logistics of creating a global indicator and decide whether the entire species diversity should be measured or just a portion.

The standardization of monitoring protocols that can be implemented in any country is crucial for the robust estimation of global butterfly populations needed to assess progress towards the 2020 targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). These guidelines can also provide the foundation for developing scenarios for the future of butterfly populations under different policy and management options.

In addition to catalysing the development of global butterfly monitoring guidelines and the Global Butterfly Indicator, the meeting will lead to a suite of journal articles. To maintain the momentum gained at the meeting, a new butterfly monitoring group has been established. The outcomes of this meeting have provided a clear path to increased harmonization among the efforts of global butterfly experts in different regions.

We would like to thank EU BON and GEO BON for co-funding this workshop.

Participants of the butterfly monitoring experts meeting at iDiv, Leipzig, Germany, December 2014

Participants of the butterfly monitoring experts meeting at iDiv, Leipzig, Germany, December 2014

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