Evaluation of isolated and integrated prairie reconstructions as habitat for prairie butterflies

Reconstructing prairie habitat is one of the most promising techniques for conserving the imperiled prairie ecosystem and its associated organisms. However, the degree to which reconstructed prairies function like remnant prairies has not been fully examined. We evaluated the effect of restoration planting prescriptions, as well as vegetative quality on butterfly communities inhabiting prairie reconstructions in central Iowa, USA. Twelve isolated reconstructed prairies (small, surrounded by agriculture), 12 integrated reconstructions (planting units in a larger matrix of reconstructed and remnant prairies), and 12 remnant prairies were surveyed for butterfly and plant diversity, abundance and composition. Remnant prairies supported significantly higher richness and abundance of habitat-sensitive butterfly species. Butterfly richness on integrated reconstructions was intermediately positioned between remnant and isolated reconstructions. The best vegetative predictors of butterfly richness (R2 = 0.38) and abundance (R2 = 0.13) were the availability of nectar and the percent cover of litter (which is related to management issues such as time since burning). Most significantly, we found that the response of the butterfly community to vegetation in a reconstructed prairie is more complex than simply a response to vegetation diversity. Both management within the reconstruction and the landscape context around the reconstruction affect local patterns of butterflies species distribution and abundance. Integrated reconstructions develop richer butterfly communities than isolated reconstructions.