Farming for meat and Butterflies?
Auteur : Wallis-De Vries (Michiel)
Année de publication : 2006
Publication : Vlinders
Volume :
21
Fascicule : 4
Pagination : 10-12
Résumé :
In the framework of the European FORBIOBEN project, a four-year experiment was done on the response of butterflies, grasshoppers and animals of other taxa to different grazing regimes at sites in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and northern Italy. The effects of moderate and low stocking rates were compared, as well as those of commercial or traditional breeds. Sheep were used in Italy and cattle elsewhere. For butterflies and grasshoppers, the difference between the moderate and extensive grazing regimes was substantial, with consistent effects between the various sites: at the lower stocking rate, species richness and the abundance of individuals were the highest However, the breed of livestock used had no significant effect. These results applied to both the species associated with short vegetation and those of tall vegetation. Extensive grazing therefore proved to have a good potential for enhancing the diversity of insects in a cultural landscape