2026-06-10T01:03:26+02:00 https://library.wur.nl/oai

oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/410104 2026-03-31

urn:nbn:nl:ui:32-410104 2026-03-31 urn:nbn:nl:ui:32-410104/mods Conservation where people work: A role for business districts and industrial areas in enhancing endangered butterfly populations? Snep R.P.H. 21656333X 0000-0002-7130-9254 0000000111519500 aut Wallis de Vries M.F. 121893499 0000-0003-3808-2999 0000000053033448 aut Opdam P. 068449798 0000000032128210 aut text info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2011 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.07.002 2-s2.0-80052656111 000295771500010 en Urbanization is often identified as a primary cause of species decline. Yet little is known about biodiversity conservation in human settlements, the ‘places where people live and work’. In this study, conducted in the densely populated Netherlands, our main objective was to explore new conservation planning strategies to strengthen metapopulations in urbanized landscapes. We focused on a rarely studied part of the city: business sites, the places where people work. We selected eight endangered butterfly species, all habitat specialists of low-productive, early-successional vegetation. Potentially, vacant lots, lawns and green roofs at business sites could offer habitat patches for these butterflies. Our analysis combined national distribution data on both butterflies and business sites. We explored the extent to which the creation of additional habitat at business sites within dispersal distance of adjoining populations could enhance the sustainability of the entire population network. We found that for four endangered butterfly species (Aricia agestis, Hipparchia semele, Issoria lathonia and Ochlodes sylvanus), additional habitat developed at nearby business sites could support a substantial proportion (19–33%) of the currently vulnerable populations in the Netherlands. Moreover, in numerous occasions the business sites could offer sufficient habitat to upgrade vulnerable butterfly populations into viable metapopulations. The present study illustrates that – even for habitat specialists such as the selected butterfly species – urbanized areas may provide yet unexplored conservation opportunities. Wageningen Environmental Research PE&RC CL - Urban and Regional Development Entomology (ENT) Land Use Planning biodiversity diversity habitat restoration insects reserves se finland species richness urban landscape urbanization vegetation Wageningen Environmental Research PE&RC CL - Stadsregionale Ontwikkeling Entomology (ENT) Landgebruiksplanning Landscape and Urban Planning 103 94 101 01692046 urn:nbn:nl:ui:32-410104/obj 2026-03-31 http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/RestrictedAccess