Conserving the Marsh Fritillary in Dorset: Lessons from 15 years of landscape-scale conservation

Published source details Bulman C.R., Bourn N., Belding R., Middlebrook I., Brook S., Shreeves B. & Warren M. (2012) Conserving the Marsh Fritillary in Dorset: Lessons from 15 years of landscape-scale conservation. Pages 24-29 in: S. Ellis, N.A. Bourn & C.R. Bulman (eds.) Landscape-scale conservation for butterflies and moths: lessons from the UK. Butterfly Conservation.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Pay farmers to cover the costs of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes or conservation incentives) Action Link

Pay farmers to cover the costs of conservation measures (as in agri-environment schemes or conservation incentives)

A replicated, site comparison study in 2001–2010 in 32 pastoral farms in Dorset, UK (Bulman et al. 2012) reported that on farms in agri-environment schemes, marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia populations were more likely to have a positive response over nine years than on farms not in schemes. In 28 farms in agri-environment schemes, marsh fritillary populations showed a positive response in 20, a negative response in one and no change in seven. In four farms not in agri-environment schemes, populations showed a positive response in two and no change in two. The study does not clearly report whether responses of populations were measured as size, number/site or persistence. Data were provided for 32 farms which had populations of marsh fritillary. Twenty-eight were in either the Wildlife Enhancement Scheme, Countryside Stewardship Scheme or Higher Level Environmental Stewardship scheme. From 2001–2010 butterflies were surveyed annually via walking transects and caterpillars via web counts. It is not clear whether both transects and web counts were conducted at all farms.

(Summarised by: Eleanor Bladon)