Influence of urban mowing concepts on the diversity of butterflies: Investigations on public green space in the city of Tübingen

Published source details Kricke C., Bamann T. & Betz O. (2012) Einfluss städtischer Mahdkonzepte auf die Artenvielfalt der Tagfalter: Untersuchungen auf Grünflächen der Start Tübingen. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung, 45, 052-058.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Alter mowing regimes on greenspaces and road verges Action Link

Alter mowing regimes on greenspaces and road verges

A replicated, paired, controlled study in 2011 in 10 urban greenspaces in Baden-Württemberg, Germany (Kricke et al. 2014) found that less frequently mown areas had a greater diversity of butterflies and burnet moths than regularly mown areas. The species richness and diversity of butterflies and burnet moths in areas mown once in the summer (9 species/site) was higher than in areas mown every 3–4 weeks throughout the summer (4 species/site, diversity data presented as model results). In addition, four species only occurred on grasslands which had been mown once/year for >4 years, which had an average of 11 species/site (statistical significance not assessed). See paper for individual species results. One half of each of 10 public greenspaces (>200 m²) was mown or mulched once in July or August 2011, while the other half was mown or mulched once every 3–4 weeks from April–August 2011. Five additional sites had only been mown once/year for >4 years. From April–early August 2011, butterflies were surveyed five times in each site, by walking with nets in large loops until no new species was found for 20 minutes.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon)