Evaluation of isolated and integrated prairie reconstructions as habitat for prairie butterXies

Reconstructing prairie habitat is one of the most promising techniques for conserving the imperiled prairie ecosystem and its associated organisms. However, the degree to which reconstructed prairies function like remnant prairies has not been fully examined. We evaluated the eVect of restoration planting prescriptions, as well as vegetative quality on butterXy communities inhabiting prairie reconstructions in central Iowa, USA. Twelve isolated reconstructed prairies (small, surrounded by agriculture), 12 integrated reconstructions (planting units in a larger matrix of reconstructed and remnant prairies), and 12 remnant prairies were surveyed for butterXy and plant diversity, abundance and composition. Remnant prairies supported signiWcantly higher richness and abundance of habitat-sensitive butterXy species. ButterXy richness on integrated reconstructions was intermediately positioned between remnant and isolated reconstructions. The best vegetative predictors of butterXy richness (R2 D 0.38) and abundance (R2 D 0.13) were the availability of nectar and the percent cover of litter (which is related to management issues such as time since burning). Most signiWcantly, we found that the response of the butterXy community to vegetation in a reconstructed prairie is more complex than simply a response to vegetation diversity. Both management within the reconstruction and the landscape context around the reconstruction aVect local patterns of butterXies species distribution and abundance. Integrated reconstructions develop richer butterXy communities than isolated reconstructions.  2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.