Tag: Habitat Restoration

Monitoring 

New home for the Apollo in Krkonoše mountains

Posted By: Kamila Redererova 3956 Views 0 Comment , ,

In June, the Krkonoše Mountains briefly became home to the very rare Apollo butterfly. This butterfly is a relic from the Ice Age, and its natural habitat consists of sunlit mountain rocks with an abundance of flowering plants. It disappeared from Czech nature nearly a century ago due to the loss of its natural environment. Now, the Apollo butterfly faces an imminent threat even in our neighboring countries: in the Slovak and Polish Carpathians or the Austrian Alps. Their decline is also accelerated by climate change, as it’s simply getting too warm for them.

Conservation efforts to save the Parnassius Apollo

Our nature conservationists are trying to reverse this population decline by preserving its original habitats, but they are also working to create new, backup environments. Such a place has now been established in the Krkonoše Mountains. Since August 2022, intensive work has been done to clear the rocks, which will serve as a substitute habitat for these iconic butterflies. Soon after, the area saw the appearance of many flowering plants, and with them, butterflies such as the critically endangered small blue butterfly in Krkonoše, the swallowtail, the purple emperor, and numerous ringlets.

Testing the new habitat: Male-only butterfly release

It was time to let the site be tested by its future residents. For this purpose, a total of 100 males from a rescue breeding program were released, having already fulfilled their reproductive role, to live out their days here. Why only males, you might ask? Once each male fertilizes a female, he no longer has any purpose in breeding, whereas the females still need to lay eggs for the next generation and are essential for maintaining the population. If the release didn’t succeed, we wouldn’t be left with anything if we had released the entire population. The butterflies were numbered with a marker before release, both for monitoring purposes and to diminish their value to potential collectors.

Our method of releasing only males was met with skepticism shortly after being publicized. There were speculations that the males would search for females and leave the site, skewing our results. Today, we have processed data from repeated expert monitoring, and we can confirm that these theories did not hold true. Even in nature, male butterflies naturally hatch a few days earlier than females and must wait for them. The males behaved entirely normally on the site throughout the three weeks of regular monitoring, with no observed “flights” away from the site, and they remained quite vital for a long time.

Positive behavior and site attachment

The butterflies exhibited their typical behavior, including active patrolling, territorial battles with other males, and most importantly, spreading out across the site and evenly occupying the entire area with frequent contact among each other. This is crucial for them because, as has been observed in practice many times, this phenomenon leads to a stronger attachment of the butterflies to the site. In human terms, their logic says, “There are a lot of other butterflies here, so there must be more females too, and I like that.” Of course, in this case, we tricked the poor males a bit. However, the positive monitoring results indicate that the Apollos didn’t catch on to our ruse.

In summary, the monitoring showed absolutely great results, so we can consider the management part of the project focused on the adults to be successful (though not yet complete!). However, this is not the end of the story, as there still needs to be enough space provided for the Apollo butterflies’ host plants. This is another reason why we haven’t yet released the butterflies in full; everything must be perfect for this demanding butterfly to thrive in the Krkonoše Mountains.

Project news 

We are restoring the splendour of Kruczy Kamień nature reserve, PL

Posted By: Kamila Redererova 399 Views 0 Comment , ,

We are restoring the splendour of Kruczy Kamień nature reserve – the most important place for the Apollo butterfly in the Polish Sudetes 

Kruczy Kamień is an inanimate nature reserve. It was established in 1954 and currently has an area of 12.61 ha. It covers western and south-western slopes of Krucza Skała (681 m above sea level) located in the Krucza Valley, in the Stone Mountains. The subject of the reserve’s protection is an interesting form of trachyte intrusion (a variety of porphyry of volcanic origin) in the sedimentary rocks of the Rotliegend. The area is made up of steep slopes with heights reaching 30 metres in places. Numerous rock formations occur here, and in many places extensive fields of rock rubble are formed as a result of the crumbling of the porphyry rock.

Most of the reserve is covered with artificially planted spruce forest. The reminder is covered mainly by rocky, xerothermic, pioneer and meadow vegetation. Among the more important habitats recorded in the reserve are ecosystems of Pontic-Pannonian character, which form a mosaic with xerothermic and rocky grasslands. At the foot of the escarpment there are rare – Subcontinental Peri-Pannonian shrubby habitats Rhamno-Prunetea thickets with numerous patches of Cotoneaster integerrimus (one of the largest in the Sudetes) and herbaceous plants. The shrubs are also accompanied by Festuco-Stipion Pannonic grasslands, with Sedum species, important for the Apollo butterfly Parnassius apollo. Habitats of ephemeral character have developed on the rock rubble layer and in rock crevices. This is the thermophilic pioneer vegetation of the rock shelves of the Alysso-Sedion association classified as Sempervivetum soboliferi complex. This habitat type is rich in the succulent species Jovibarba sobolifera, Sedum acre, Sedum maximum and Sedum album (artificially introduced). The latter two species provide a food source for the caterpillars of the Apollo butterfly. These ecosystems undergo gradual succession, becoming overgrown with taller vegetation, mainly grasses and perennials and then shrubs and trees. At the foot of the reserve there are habitats rich in nectariferous plants: patches of xerothermic grassland and herbaceous vegetation, and further on, lush and dense meadow vegetation composed largely of Centaurea and Cirsium species.

Rare plant species, including those protected by law in Poland, include: the endemic morphological form of Viola porphyrea, Cotoneaster integerrimus, Festuca pallens, Lilium martagon, Digitalis grandiflora, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Antennaria dioica and Asplenium septentrionale.

A rich insect fauna, especially butterflies, was found in the reserve. However, the most important has always been the local subspecies of the Apollo butterfly Parnassius apollo silesianus, which occurs here. This butterfly became extinct at the beginning of the 20th century, and the Krucze Mountains area was one of the last places of its occurrence in Lower Silesia. The first successful attempt to reintroduce the species in the reserve was made as early as the 1990s, and the butterflies persisted in the site for more than 10 years. Reintroduction continued in the 21st century, when breeding began as part of a project by the Fundacja Ekorozwoju, the Karkonosze National Park and the Stołowe Mountains National Park, which now continues under the Apollo2020 project. The habitat itself has also been cared for. Unfortunately, years have passed since the last conservation measures in the reserve. The sunny slopes have again become overgrown with shrubs and tree undergrowth. The thermophilic habitats have been shaded and the landslides have started to lose their dynamic character.

This winter, Klub Przyrodników carried out conservation measures in the reserve that will help to preserve and, in places, restore its peculiar charm. An area of approximately 1.7 hectares was cleared of shrubs (with the exception of Cotoneaster integerrimus), as well as tree undergrowth, including some larger specimens, the seeds of which are spreading along the slopes of Krucze Kamień reinforcing the succession process. Our further aim is to maintain the effects of these activities and stop the regrowth of felled shrubs and trees by grazing goats. 

In spring, Apollo caterpillars can be seen in the reserve, which have hatched from the eggs laid by butterflies last year, and every summer, the spectacle of philutically flying Apollo butterfly plays out before our eyes on the slopes of the reserve and in the meadow at its foot. Our dream is to establish a permanent population of the species in the reserve, which will only need our help to cut the bushes.

Project news 

Outdoor season in Austria has officially started!

Posted By: Kamila Redererova 413 Views 0 Comment , ,

The snow has started to melt in the Alps, which means that the outdoor work season for the Apollo butterfly in Austrian habitats could officially begin. With the great help of volunteers, the Austrian team (EWS) has started the crucial task of debushing in two Apollo habitats – Lofer, Salzburg, and Fieberbrunn, Tyrol.

With warm and sunny weather on our side, we focused on clearing away overgrown bushes and trees to uncover the rocky slopes beneath. These rocky slopes are vital for the survival of Apollo caterpillars, as they provide the perfect environment for the caterpillars to thrive. The exposed slopes are ideal for the growth of Sedum plants, which are the main food source for the caterpillars. Keeping these areas free of excessive bush growth is important to maintaining a suitable habitat for the caterpillars.

In addition to our debushing efforts, we planted various Sedum species (Sedum sexangulare and Sedum album) to ensure the caterpillars have plenty of food. This step is needed for helping the caterpillars grow into healthy pupae and eventually transform into imagines. To support the adult butterflies, we also sowed seeds of nectar-producing plants, ensuring that there will be nectar sources available when the butterflies emerge.

The highlight of the day was discovering numerous Apollo caterpillars within the habitat. In Lofer, Salzburg. We saw them actively crawling and feeding on the Sedum plants, which was an exciting confirmation that our conservation measures are already paying off.

During our work, we had the pleasure of meeting a group of children and their teacher. The kids were eager to learn about the Parnassius apollo butterflies, their feeding plants, and our conservation efforts. Their enthusiasm and curiosity has again assured us how important is to involve and educate also the younger generation about environmental conservation.

Looking ahead, we are excited for the rest of the spring and summer seasons. We will continue our efforts to maintain and improve the habitats, ensuring that the Apollo butterflies have a thriving environment.

Project news 

The rescue mission for Parnassius Apollo continues in Czechia

Posted By: Kamila Redererova 419 Views 0 Comment , ,

Last year, our Czech partner ČSOP Hradec Králové managed to light up (not only) over a hectare of densely overgrown rocky terrain for Parnassius apollo, which was covered with impenetrable trees and thickets up to 15 metres high. But our efforts did not end there! Thanks to long-term support from the Škoda Auto Foundation and a partnership with the KRNAP administration, this winter we have managed to open an area that is now two to three times larger than some of the sites where Apollo still survives in Slovakia or Poland.

The work is really extreme and dangerous, and in some places you literally have to do magic on a rope. Through the Krakonoš Gardens project, we have been able to purchase special equipment that allows us to safely reach even the most inaccessible places.

And that’s not all. So far we’ve only focused on one main location, but in the coming period we’ll start preparing a second home for the Butterfly King, which is nearby. We have also walked the surrounding area in detail, mapping the occurrence of both feeding and nectar plants, as well as the surrounding meadows and potential corridors that can serve as a network of stepping stones for the Apollo. These are the kind of microhabitats that help the butterfly king to cross the road when travelling to a new home or mate. It’s a bit like imagining the stones you use to hop from one side of a river to the other.

We’re looking forward to getting the place all smelling and buzzing. Last year, the restored rocky areas have already attracted various species of flowering plants and insects, which had not had enough space and light here before, including, for example, Hornet moth tied to the Spurges or Zygaena ephialtes, which was known on the Czech and Polish side of the Krkonoše Mountains from only one location, although it used to be common here in the past. And thanks to the new finds of rare butterflies last year, it is now indisputable that the activities aimed at the return of Parnassius Apollo are helping several of the rarest butterfly species in the Krkonoše Mountains, such as the least and forest Small blue or the Silver-spotted skipper, to survive.

The Parnassius Apollo, as this large mountain butterfly is also called after the god Apollo, is facing great difficulties today. Its numbers are declining rapidly across central Europe due to deteriorating conditions in its natural habitat, which are affected by both human activity and climate change. Even in the aforementioned sites in Poland and Slovakia, it is no longer thriving, mainly due to the abandonment of traditional farming practices, where excess and sprawling plants were regulated primarily by grazing animals. Last year, Parnassius apollo numbers declined by somewhere up to 90%. This project could thus play a key role in conserving the Central European gene pool of this iconic species and maintaining the population of this butterfly in our region.

The caterpillars of the next generation of Parnassius Apollo hatched from eggs in the rescue kennel a few weeks ago, and now there are hundreds of them. The actual hatching of the butterflies could take place in June, after which we plan the first experimental release of males at the Krkonoše sites where the field work mentioned last year took place. It does not make much sense to reshape the habitat according to the so-called “human view”, even if we are convinced that our efforts are correct. By observing certain behavioural traits of butterflies, which they can demonstrate directly in the field, we can learn from unnecessary mistakes and guide our efforts in the right direction.