Butterfly numbers facing 'vital' period - Sir David Attenborough.
Butterflies in the UK are facing "a vital" period following a worrying
decline in their numbers, naturalist Sir David Attenborough has
warned.
The TV broadcaster said some of the UK's most common species have
suffered "significant declines" in recent years.
Many have experienced "several poor years", he added, due to cold weather
and with their habitats under threat.
Warm weather this year has given some species, such as the meadow brown
and red admiral "a good start", he said.
More than three quarters of the UK's butterflies have declined in the
last 40 years, with numbers falling quicker in towns and cities, experts
say.
Sir David, president of Butterfly Conservation, said that despite a warm
summer last year, species like the small tortoiseshell, peacock, meadow brown
and gatekeeper had seen numbers fall due to a warm winter and a subsequent cold
spring.
BUTTERFLY
CONSERVATION
"Worryingly, we are now seeing the fortunes of some of our once common
butterflies mirror those of our rarest species and they too are now also
suffering significant declines with butterflies declining more rapidly in urban
areas than in the countryside," Sir David added.
"In the last decade our butterflies have experienced several poor years
and although resilient, they simply cannot sustain repeated losses, especially
if the habitats they need in order to rebuild their populations are also under
threat."
He said 2017 has been a good year for species so far, but added:
"Butterflies really need this to continue."
Sir David urged members of the public to take part in the
annual Big Butterfly
Count to see if common species can
bounce back this year. BBC News.
