Factors affecting the abundance of butterflies in field boundaries in Swavesey fens, Cambridgeshire, UK Original Research Article

Surveys of the butterfly populations of a large number of field boundary transects were carried out in 1986 and 1991. The abundance of individual species, total abundance and species richness were related to characteristics of the field boundary and to field boundary flora using regression techniques. Butterfly populations were enhanced in those boundaries containing large hedgerows, grassy areas in the form of verges or ditch banks, and where floral species richness was greatest. These features are more usually associated with the edges of pasture fields. A small set of additional data suggested the detrimental effect of agrochemical applications to butterflies. The importance of field boundaries in providing a network for movement between habitat patches is discussed.