Effects of coppicing on butterfly communities of woodlands

During the past 150 years traditional forest management practices have been neglected in most parts of Central Europe with severe consequences for biodiversity. Coppicing has in the past been one of the most important forms of management for broadleaved woodlands. To investigate the effects of coppicing, we analyzed species richness and density of butterfly communities in coppiced woodlands with standards in the French Alsace. We sampled butterflies and environmental parameters through standardized transect walks (n = 37 plots) in five different successional stages (first-year, second-year, fringe, shrub and wood stage). With 36 butterfly species in total, among them 13 threatened species, coppice woodlands had a comparatively high species richness. Butterflies showed a clear response to coppicing, with each successional stage harboring a unique assemblage. However, species richness and densities of resident and threatened species were highest in early and mid-successional stages (second year and fringe stage) and lowest in the latest successional stage (wood). The pattern was slightly different for migratory species. Species richness and densities decreased along the successional gradient from the first-year to the wood stage. Warm microclimatic conditions (all groups), the availability of nectar resources (migratory species) and sufficient host-plants growing under suitable conditions (resident and threatened species) were associated with higher densities and greater diversity of butterflies. Based on our results, maintenance and expansion of coppice management should be a suitable tool to counteract the general decline of woodland butterflies and the loss of early-successional species in woodlands.