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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Habitats in Britain - and their management
 

Land management for butterflies and moths is a complex subject that is still poorly understood, and the following is only intended as a brief guide. Landowners and managers wishing to avail themselves of more detailed information and expertise are recommended to contact Butterfly Conservation or their local county Wildlife Trust, who will be able to put them in contact with professional advisors.
 
Section 1 - Forests and woodlands
Section 2 - Grasslands and scrub
Section 3 - Heathlands and moors
Section 4 - Coastal habitats
 
 
Heathlands and moors

British heathlands and grasslands originally came into existence when Bronze Age man cleared the woodlands for cultivation. Grasslands such as the South Downs developed on calcareous soils ( chalk and limestone ), but only heathers, birch and pines could survive on poorer acidic soils.

Heathlands and moors support quite a limited range of butterflies, mainly amongst the Satyrinae, Lycaeninae, Polyommatinae and Hesperiinae.

Controlled burning

Some heaths, such as those in the New Forest and Exmoor are traditionally grazed by ponies; but controlled burning is the primary heathland management tool. Areas that are not periodically burned become very overgrown with heather, gorse, birch and young pines, and eventually revert to woodland.

Burning releases nitrates, and allows the habitat to regenerate, producing fine grasses, trefoils, milkworts and a carpet of fresh young cross-leaved heath, foodplant of the Silver-studded Blue. Fires can get out of control, so heaths nearly always have a network of wide firebreaks, and these are mown periodically, producing a mix of fine grasses and exposed soil, which is favoured by Satyrines such as the Grayling and the Small Heath.

Silver-studded Blue  Plebejus argus - a typical heathland butterfly, still found in thousands on certain heaths in Hampshire's New Forest.
 

Colonies of the Grayling Hipparchia semele occur on dry heathlands in southern England, and on coastal grasslands throughout Britain.
 
                                                       
Almost every British and European species of butterfly is declining rapidly in numbers, due in most cases to loss or degradation of habitats.
 
You can help to reverse the decline by supporting conservation organisations which purchase and manage habitats as nature reserves, and which lobby government at local, national and international levels, often very successfully, to bring about changes in farming, forestry and urban development policies.
 
Please contact the conservation organisations for advice on how you can help protect British and European butterflies and their habitats. You may be able to offer practical help e.g. by monitoring butterfly populations or helping to manage nature reserves. Donations to these organisations enable them to employ ecologists and biologists. Even if you are unable to provide such help, merely having your name on the membership list can be a powerful tool for conservation organisations wishing to demonstrate the levels of support they have for their policies.
 
 
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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