caa a22 4500 606164928 CHVBK 20210128100651.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20151001xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10144-015-0507-0 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10144-015-0507-0 Drivers of local densities of endangered Lycaena helle butterflies in a fragmented landscape [Elektronische Daten] [Joanna Nabielec, Piotr Nowicki] Due to their specialised habitat requirements, butterflies are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation. Understanding the drivers of local abundances of species is essential for their effective conservation in fragmented landscapes. We investigated factors affecting population densities of an endangered European butterfly, the Violet Copper (Lycaena helle), occurring in a small metapopulation near the city of Kraków, southern Poland. The environmental parameters tested as predictors of the local densities of the species included both the variables associated with spatial structure of habitats such as patch sizes, their isolation and fragmentation as well as those potentially reflecting habitat quality. Patch area and vegetation height turned out to be the only factors significantly influencing L. helle densities, both having a positive effect. The positive impact of patch area is a bit surprising, since its relationship with population densities is typically negative in butterflies. In our study system it is likely to derive from source-sink dynamics as the smaller habitat patches are apparently too small to sustain viable local populations. In turn, the positive influence of vegetation height implies that the ongoing succession does not deteriorate the quality of the recently abandoned meadows yet, whereas higher turf may provide better sheltering places. The loss of almost half of L. helle habitat patches in the study area in recent years is alarming. However, its inclusion into the Natura 2000 system should help to conserve the species as long as this act is followed by proper management of its habitats. The Author(s), 2015 Habitat fragmentation nationallicence Meadow management nationallicence Metapopulation nationallicence Source-sink dynamics nationallicence Violet Copper nationallicence Nabielec Joanna Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland aut Nowicki Piotr Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland aut Population Ecology Springer Japan 57/4(2015-10-01), 649-656 1438-3896 57:4<649 2015 57 10144 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-015-0507-0 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-015-0507-0 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Nabielec Joanna Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Nowicki Piotr Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Population Ecology Springer Japan 57/4(2015-10-01), 649-656 1438-3896 57:4<649 2015 57 10144