Corridor length and patch colonization by a butterfly, Junonia coenia

Published source details Haddad N. (2000) Corridor length and patch colonization by a butterfly, Junonia coenia. Conservation Biology, 14, 738-745.
Share Tweet Email

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Retain connectivity between habitat patches Action Link

Retain connectivity between habitat patches

A replicated, controlled study in 1997 in three pine plantations in South Carolina, USA (Haddad 2000) found that the number of common buckeye Junonia coenia which colonized habitat patches when released from suitable habitat corridors did not change with distance from the patch, but the number which reached habitat patches when released from unsuitable habitat was lower at greater distances. When released in a habitat corridor 128–192 m from a suitable habitat patch, the number of common buckeyes which colonized the patch (1.6 individuals/point) was similar to the number which colonized when released 16–64 m from a patch (1.5 individuals/point). However, when released in unsuitable forest, the number of butterflies which colonized the patch from 128–192 m (0.8 individuals/point) was lower than from 16–64 m (2.5 individuals/point). In 1994–1995, across three plantations, 13 open patches (128 × 128 m, 256 or 384 m apart) were created by felling trees. Some patches were connected to others by open corridors (32 m wide). In 1997, butterflies were collected >5 km from the experimental patches, marked with a unique code, and released along transects at 16, 32, 64, 128 or 192 m from a patch. Ten transects were along corridors and 10 were within forest (192-m points occurred on only 12 transects). Four butterflies were released from every location within a single plantation on one day in June and one day in July. For four days following releases, marked butterflies were recorded daily by walking eight 128-m transects (16 m apart) across each patch.

(Summarised by: Andrew Bladon)