[ad_1]
Conservationists call on homeowners not to cut their lawns in the coming months to increase the butterfly numbers, with more than half of the British species now in the long -term decline.
Last year was one of the worst on record for butterflies, with 51 of the UK’s 59 butterfly species showing a decrease in numbers compared to numbers for 2023.
The fall is driven by human activities, the use of pesticides and climate change, experts said.
Human activity has destroyed many habitats for butterflies, experts say. Photo: Dad
The British butterfly monitoring scheme, run by a coalition of conservation organizations, said well -known butterfly species, including the small turtle, the Chalk Hill Blue and Small Copper their worst year ever suffered.
It was also the second worst year since the 1976 monitoring for popular butterflies living in gardens, parks and the countryside, such as the usual blue, gatekeeper and big whites.
Richard Fox, of Butterfly Conservation, said: ‘I was ruined by the decline of our beloved British butterflies, and I’m sorry to say that it was brought about by human actions.
“We have destroyed wildlife habitats, pollute the environment, use pesticides on an industrial scale and we change the climate.
“This means that when we have poor weather, these already exhausted butterfly populations are very vulnerable and cannot jump back as they once did – and with climate change, that unusual weather becomes more and more usually.”
The numbers of the turtle have dropped since 1976, the data shows. Photo: Dad
‘Significant’ drops by some species
Data revealed that 31 species showed a long-term decline.
According to experts, it is 22 species that show significant declines, including widespread butterflies such as the small turtle, the numbers of which have fallen by 86% since 1976.
The green-storey white had a 28% drop, while gray captain, little pearl boundaries Fritillary and Chalk Hill Blue had their worst year on record.
Conservationists have said that these species need a specific habitat to survive, which has been destroyed over the past century.
Dr Marc Botham, butterfly ecologist at the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology, said the results are ‘deep about’, especially as they can tell us about the health of the broader environment ‘.
Read more from Sky News:
Water enterprise ‘must be prosecuted’ for sewerage
‘No more bat tunnels’ in the planning of reforms
Last year was one of the worst on record for the usual blue butterfly. Photo: Dad
What can be done to help butterflies?
The results come after the Butterfly Conservation declared a British world “Butterfly Emergency” To the worst results of his large butterfly count last year.
Dr Fox said the ‘best thing we can do’ was to create ‘more habitat’.
He said research shows that part of a garden is growing wild with tall grass, the butterflies increase.
“That’s why we call on people and councils across the UK to promise not to cut their grass from April to September; this simple act can make a real, immediate difference to butterflies, moths and other wildlife,” he added.
[ad_2]
Source link
