Use selective or reduced impact logging instead of conventional logging

How is the evidence assessed?
  • Effectiveness
    not assessed
  • Certainty
    not assessed
  • Harms
    not assessed

Study locations

Key messages

  • Four studies evaluated the effects on butterflies and moths of using selective or reduced impact logging instead of conventional logging. Two studies were in Brazil and one was in each of Sweden and the USA.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (3 STUDIES)

  • Community composition (1 study): One replicated, site comparison study in Brazil found that forests managed by reduced impact logging at different intensities had a different community composition of fruit-feeding butterflies to pristine forest.
  • Richness/diversity (3 studies): One replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in the USA found that forests harvested by single tree selection had a similar species richness of moths to forests managed by group selection harvesting or clearcutting, but a lower species richness than unharvested forest. One site comparison study in Brazil found that a forest managed by reduced impact logging had a similar species richness and diversity of butterflies to primary forest. One replicated, site comparison study in Brazil found that forests managed by reduced impact logging at different intensities had a similar species richness of fruit-feeding butterflies.

POPULATION RESPONSE (3 STUDIES)

  • Abundance (3 studies): One replicated, randomized, paired, controlled study in Sweden found that selectively logged forests had a higher abundance of exposed moth caterpillars, but a similar abundance of concealed moth caterpillars, to clearcut forests, and a similar abundance of all moth caterpillars to undisturbed forests. One site comparison study in Brazil found that a forest managed by reduced impact logging had a higher abundance of butterflies than primary forest. One replicated, site comparison study in Brazil found that forests managed by reduced impact logging at intermediate intensity had a higher abundance of fruit-feeding butterflies than forests managed by high or low intensity reduced impact logging.

BEHAVIOUR (0 STUDIES)

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

  1. A replicated, randomized, paired, controlled study in 1992 in three boreal forests in Lapland, Sweden (Atlegrim & Sjöberg 1996) found that bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus plants in selectively logged forests had a higher abundance of exposed moth caterpillars, but not concealed caterpillars, than clearcut forests. The abundance of exposed caterpillars (Geometridae and Noctuidae, which crawl on leaves while feeding) in selectively logged forests (2.3–3.5 individuals/m2) was higher than in clearcut forests (0.3–1.3 individuals/m2), and similar to undisturbed forests (3.0–5.7 individuals/m2). However, the abundance of concealed caterpillars (Tortricidae and Pyralidae, which spin leaves together and live between them) was not significantly different in selectively logged (0 individuals/m2), clearcut (0–0.3 individuals/m2) and undisturbed (0–1.3 individuals/m2) forests. Three forests were each divided into three 20-ha stands, which were randomly assigned to three treatments: selective logging (30% of trees and 45–50% of tree volume removed), clearcutting (all trees removed, followed by soil scarification and artificial regeneration), and undisturbed. Felling was staggered between winter 1987/88 and 1991/92. From late June–early July 1992, caterpillars feeding on bilberry were counted in three randomly placed 0.1-m2 plots in each of 10 sites within each stand.

    Study and other actions tested
  2. A replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in 2007–2009 in three hardwood forests in Indiana, USA (Summerville 2011) found that timber harvesting method, including selective logging, did not affect the number of moth species, but all harvested forest stands had fewer species than unharvested stands. One year after harvesting, there was no significant difference in the number of moth species between stands subjected to single-tree harvesting (39 species), group-selection harvesting (40 species) or shelterwood harvesting and clearcutting (46 species, data not separated), but all harvested stands had fewer species than unharvested stands (56 species). One year before harvesting, all stands had a similar number of moth species (single-tree: 85; group-selection: 100; shelterwood/clearcutting: 96; unharvested: 90 species). In 2008, forest stands (3–5 ha, 150–350 m apart) in three watersheds (500 ha, 10 km apart) were logged. In one watershed, four stands had random single trees removed, and four stands were harvested by group-selection (80% of trees removed). In a second watershed, three stands were shelterwood harvested (15% of trees removed), two stands were clearcut (100% of trees removed), and three stands were unharvested (no trees removed). In the third watershed, all four stands were unharvested. All stands had been clearcut around 60 years earlier. From June–August 2007 and 2009, moths were surveyed every 14 nights (five times/year) from 8pm–7am using a black-light trap placed 2 m above the ground in the centre of each forest stand.

    Study and other actions tested
  3. A site comparison study in 2007 in a rainforest in Amazon State, Brazil (Ribeiro & Freitas 2012) found that forests managed by reduced impact logging had a higher abundance, but similar species richness and diversity, of butterflies than unlogged, primary forest. In a forest managed by reduced impact logging, the abundance of butterflies (644 individuals) was higher than in an unlogged forest (447 individuals), but the species richness was not significantly different between reduced impact logging (62 species) and unlogged (54 species) forest. The diversity of butterflies was also similar between forest types (data presented as model results). See paper for individual species results. An 8,100-ha area of forest was managed under reduced impact logging for three years. Trees of 70 valuable species, >50 cm diameter at breast height, were selected and harvested by directional felling. A maximum of six trees/ha could be felled every 30 years. A 7,500-ha primary forest, which had never been logged, was also studied. From July–November 2007, butterflies were sampled for 14 days/month using 50 baited traps/forest. Traps were placed in groups of ten, 900 m apart. Within each group, traps were 100 m apart and alternated between the understorey (1.5 m above ground) and the canopy (20 m above ground). Traps were visited every 48 hours to replace bait and collect captured butterflies.

    Study and other actions tested
  4. A replicated, site comparison study in 2015–2016 in 40 tropical forest sites in Rondônia, Brazil (Montejo-Kovacevich et al. 2018) found that intermediate intensity reduced impact logging (RIL) produced higher fruit-feeding butterfly (Nymphalidae) abundance, but not species richness, compared to low or high intensity RIL. Three to five years after logging, RIL sites logged at intermediate intensity had a higher abundance of butterflies (7.7 individuals/site/48 hours) than RIL sites logged at low (2.9 individuals/site/48 hours) or high (3.0 individuals/site/48 hours) intensity. Species richness was similar at intermediate (1.9 species/site/48 hours), low (1.7 species/site/48 hours) and high (1.7 species/site/48 hours) intensity RIL sites. However, community composition at logged sites was different to pristine forest (data presented as model results). From 2011–2012, reduced impact logging was conducted at 40 sites (>100 m apart, >250 m from roads or rivers). All timber trees >40 cm diameter were mapped prior to logging, and pre-felling vine cutting and directional felling were used to minimize disturbance. Logging intensity ranged from 0 (low) to 36.9 (high) m3 timber/ha (0–6 trees/ha), with intermediate logging at 18.6 m3 timber/ha. In the 2015 and 2016 dry seasons, fruit-feeding butterflies were sampled in 50-m radius plots at 40 logged sites and 20 pristine forest sites. Three baited cylindrical traps/plot were suspended 15–25 m apart, 1 m above the ground, and the surrounding undergrowth was cleared. Traps were open for 12 consecutive days, and visited every 48 hours to replace bait and record butterflies.

    Study and other actions tested
Please cite as:

Bladon A.J., Bladon, E. K., Smith R.K. & Sutherland W.J. (2023) Butterfly and Moth Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions for butterflies and moths. Conservation Evidence Series Synopsis. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

Butterfly and Moth Conservation

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Butterfly and Moth Conservation
Butterfly and Moth Conservation

Butterfly and Moth Conservation - Published 2023

Butterfly and Moth Synopsis

What Works 2021 cover

What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

More about What Works in Conservation

Download free PDF or purchase
The Conservation Evidence Journal

The Conservation Evidence Journal

An online, free to publish in, open-access journal publishing results from research and projects that test the effectiveness of conservation actions.

Read the latest volume: Volume 21

Go to the CE Journal

Discover more on our blog

Our blog contains the latest news and updates from the Conservation Evidence team, the Conservation Evidence Journal, and our global partners in evidence-based conservation.


Who uses Conservation Evidence?

Meet some of the evidence champions

Endangered Landscape ProgrammeRed List Champion - Arc Kent Wildlife Trust The Rufford Foundation Save the Frogs - Ghana Mauritian Wildlife Supporting Conservation Leaders
Sustainability Dashboard National Biodiversity Network Frog Life The international journey of Conservation - Oryx Cool Farm Alliance UNEP AWFA Bat Conservation InternationalPeople trust for endangered species Vincet Wildlife Trust