Effects of management cessation on grassland butterflies in southern Poland

The effects of natural succession and invasions of indigenous reed Phragmites australis and alien goldenrods Solidago sp. on butterfly communities of wet grassland were investigated in Kraków (southern Poland) after management cessation.The total number of species and individuals, mean number of species per survey and a species diversity (Shannon-Wiener index) were highest in fallow lands, old fallow lands and young forests, and the lowest in fallow lands invaded by reed and goldenrod and in mature forests. These results (1) reveal the importance of extensively mown meadows and fallow land for butterflies, (2) indicate that meadow restoration is still possible even several decades after abandonment and (3) show that invasion of reed and non-native goldenrods should be prevented.A few very rare species included in the Habitat Directive (Lycaena dispar, Lycaena helle, Maculinea teleius and Maculinea nausithous) were common on the wet grasslands in Krakow, thus the area should be protected. Moreover, it was shown that the presence and relative abundance of Maculinea butterflies were good indicators of general butterfly species richness and abundance in the investigated wet grasslands.