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Article: More than just indicators: A review of tropical butterfly ecology and conservation

TitleMore than just indicators: A review of tropical butterfly ecology and conservation
Authors
KeywordsButterfly
Conservation
Ecology
Lepidoptera
Tropical
Issue Date2010
PublisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/biocon
Citation
Biological Conservation, 2010, v. 143 n. 8, p. 1831-1841 How to Cite?
AbstractRoughly 90% of butterfly species live in the tropics. Despite this, we know very little about tropical butterfly ecology particularly when compared to temperate butterfly systems. The relative scarcity of data on tropical butterfly populations hampers our ability to effectively conserve them. In this review we summarize recurring themes from ecological research on tropical butterflies to serve as a framework for understanding their conservation. Key themes include: (1) the tropics represent the evolutionary origins of butterfly diversity, (2) while some tropical butterflies exhibit relatively stable population dynamics, longer-lived adult stages, and more continuous age-specific reproduction compared to temperate zone species, the generality of these patterns is debatable, and (3) complex species interactions (e.g. mimicry, parasitism and predation) can have significantly greater influences on ecological and evolutionary processes in tropical butterflies than in temperate ones. This state of ecological knowledge, combined with scarce resources, has traditionally constrained tropical butterfly conservation efforts to habitat level approaches, unlike the species- and population-specific approaches familiar in North America and Europe. Consequently, much conservation research on butterflies in the tropics has focused on the relationship between habitat quality (e.g. forest fragmentation) and butterfly diversity, though predictive patterns even in this regard remain elusive. We argue that with the increasing threats of habitat destruction, fragmentation and climate change, it is necessary to move beyond this diversity and habitat relationship if we are to improve predictive capabilities when evaluating anthropogenic impacts on tropical butterfly communities. Tropical butterflies are more than just useful indicator species. They represent some of the most spectacular and visually appealing organisms in the world and play many vital roles in tropical ecosystems. We hope that this synthesis will lay the groundwork for future ecological studies of tropical butterfly populations, species, communities and conservation. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/169860
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.9
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.985
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorBonebrake, TCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorPonisio, LCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorBoggs, CLen_HK
dc.contributor.authorEhrlich, PRen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2012-10-25T04:57:08Z-
dc.date.available2012-10-25T04:57:08Z-
dc.date.issued2010en_HK
dc.identifier.citationBiological Conservation, 2010, v. 143 n. 8, p. 1831-1841en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0006-3207en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/169860-
dc.description.abstractRoughly 90% of butterfly species live in the tropics. Despite this, we know very little about tropical butterfly ecology particularly when compared to temperate butterfly systems. The relative scarcity of data on tropical butterfly populations hampers our ability to effectively conserve them. In this review we summarize recurring themes from ecological research on tropical butterflies to serve as a framework for understanding their conservation. Key themes include: (1) the tropics represent the evolutionary origins of butterfly diversity, (2) while some tropical butterflies exhibit relatively stable population dynamics, longer-lived adult stages, and more continuous age-specific reproduction compared to temperate zone species, the generality of these patterns is debatable, and (3) complex species interactions (e.g. mimicry, parasitism and predation) can have significantly greater influences on ecological and evolutionary processes in tropical butterflies than in temperate ones. This state of ecological knowledge, combined with scarce resources, has traditionally constrained tropical butterfly conservation efforts to habitat level approaches, unlike the species- and population-specific approaches familiar in North America and Europe. Consequently, much conservation research on butterflies in the tropics has focused on the relationship between habitat quality (e.g. forest fragmentation) and butterfly diversity, though predictive patterns even in this regard remain elusive. We argue that with the increasing threats of habitat destruction, fragmentation and climate change, it is necessary to move beyond this diversity and habitat relationship if we are to improve predictive capabilities when evaluating anthropogenic impacts on tropical butterfly communities. Tropical butterflies are more than just useful indicator species. They represent some of the most spectacular and visually appealing organisms in the world and play many vital roles in tropical ecosystems. We hope that this synthesis will lay the groundwork for future ecological studies of tropical butterfly populations, species, communities and conservation. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.en_HK
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherElsevier BV. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/bioconen_HK
dc.relation.ispartofBiological Conservationen_HK
dc.subjectButterflyen_HK
dc.subjectConservationen_HK
dc.subjectEcologyen_HK
dc.subjectLepidopteraen_HK
dc.subjectTropicalen_HK
dc.titleMore than just indicators: A review of tropical butterfly ecology and conservationen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.emailBonebrake, TC: tbone@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityBonebrake, TC=rp01676en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltexten_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.biocon.2010.04.044en_HK
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-77954815397en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-77954815397&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume143en_HK
dc.identifier.issue8en_HK
dc.identifier.spage1831en_HK
dc.identifier.epage1841en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000279500800003-
dc.publisher.placeNetherlandsen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridBonebrake, TC=12798028100en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridPonisio, LC=36244194100en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridBoggs, CL=7005679578en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridEhrlich, PR=7101963320en_HK
dc.identifier.citeulike7284922-
dc.identifier.issnl0006-3207-

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