Conservation in urban areas can be challenging given the few natural areas in cities. Because habitat in urban areas is surrounded by a highly human-modified landscape, it is often fragmented and isolated from other natural areas.
On top of this, conservation in urban areas faces different challenges than natural landscapes from high human activity, leading to different management requirements.
Ancillotto, L., Mosconi, F., Labadessa, R. 2024. A matter of connection: the importance of habitat networks for endangered butterflies in anthropogenic landscapes. Urban Ecosystems DOI: 10.1007/s11252-024-01542-0.
As urban areas expand, green spaces in cities, such as parks, gardens, or other natural areas, can provide important habitat for many species. Managing green spaces as a network can increase functional connectivity and conservation success in urban areas. However, we lack information about how to manage these networks of urban green spaces to protect endangered species, which may be more sensitive to human activity and habitat quality.
Recent research evaluated whether green spaces in urban areas can promote the persistence of an endangered butterfly, the Italian festoon (Zerynthia cassandra). Given its limited dispersal ability and reliance on specific host plants, this species is likely to be sensitive to urbanization. In two cities in Italy, researchers surveyed urban green spaces for the butterfly and its host plants. They quantified the functional connectivity of these green spaces by identifying land uses that may be barriers (e.g., buildings) or corridors (e.g., grasslands) between green spaces.
The study found three factors that influenced butterfly persistence in urban areas. First, the species was able to persist as long as the green spaces in cities were functionally connected. For species with poor dispersal abilities like this one, keeping green spaces connected so that species can move between them significant for conservation in urban areas.
Second, the land use surrounding green spaces also impacted the butterfly’s ability to persist – more natural vegetation cover increase persistence, while anthropogenic land covers decreased persistence. Although a connected network of green spaces can improve butterfly conservation, management should also consider the matrix of human activity surrounding green spaces.
Third, within connected green spaces, the abundance of host plants also impacted butterflies. Because it specializes on specific host plants, conserving this species requires conserving its host plants. This result emphasizes how even when green spaces are functionally connected, habitat quality also matters.
The key takeaway is that multiple factors – connectivity between green spaces, surrounding land use, and habitat quality – play a role in endangered species conservation in cities. With expanding urbanization, this research points the potential for endangered species to use urban areas. Understanding the factors that allow endangered species to persist will further management priorities for urban green spaces.
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