深圳市建成区入侵植物对草本植物种类及功能多样性的影响

入侵植物对城市生态系统形成潜在威胁,有待引起足够的关注。为探究城市入侵植物对草本植物种类及功能多样性的影响,以深圳市建成区入侵植物鬼针草（Bidens pilosa）和南美蟛蜞菊（Sphagneticola trilobata）为例,分析了不同绿地类型中不同程度的单独入侵和共同入侵对草本植物群落物种多样性和功能多样性的影响规律。结果显示：①Margalef物种丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数和Pielou均匀度指数均与入侵植物盖度呈显著负相关（P<0.05,0.5865 < R² < 0.9356）。②功能丰富度指数（FRic）、功能均匀度指数（FEve）和Rao二次熵指数（FD_Q）与入侵植物盖度有一定的相关关系（0.0000 < R² < 0.2211）。③群落的特征加权平均株高（CWM_H）与入侵植物盖度有一定的正相关关系（0.0716 < R² < 0.2262）。④与未入侵的样方相比,鬼针草轻度入侵显著提高了物种多样性（P<0.05）,鬼针草和南美蟛蜞菊单独重度入侵均显著降低物种多样性（P<0.05）,二者各种程度的分别单独入侵及共同入侵都显著提高了群落加权平均株高（CWM_H）（P<0.05）。⑤对不同的绿地类型分开计算发现,鬼针草单独入侵和二者共同入侵都显著提高了各种绿地类型的物种多样性（P<0.05）,南美蟛蜞菊单独入侵只对部分绿地类型的群落物种多样性影响显著。⑥鬼针草和南美蟛蜞菊之间的生态效应可能为拮抗作用。研究结果为进一步揭示植物入侵对城市草本植物群落的影响规律提供参考,为有效防治城市外来植物入侵提供一定的依据。     

深圳近海公园植物群落结构特征及其与景观格局的相关性

城市公园植物群落为城市生态系统提供重要的生态服务。对深圳最具代表性的6个近海城市公园进行实地调查,同时结合高分辨率的遥感图像,分析其植物群落结构特征及其与公园内部景观格局的相关关系。结果表明：（1）共调查到近海公园植物108科310属471种,其中乡土植物82科169属231种。草本植物中乡土植物比例较高,而木本中乡土植物占比较低。（2）TS-4和H-1分别是近海公园最常见的乔灌群落类型和草本群落类型,其样地量分别占总量的39%和26%。常见群落的指示种多数具有热带性质并占据主体地位。（3）公园中灌木植物种数低于乔木和草本植物,但群落稳定性较高。（4）半自然型和人工型近海公园各类植物的相似性,以灌木层植物最低。（5）公园整体景观格局中,斑块密度与林地面积比、林地最大斑块面积比呈显著负相关（P<0.05）。（6）各层植物多样性也受到景观格局显著影响：草本层植物多样性与草地、林地的斑块形状复杂程度分别呈显著负相关（P<0.05）;灌木层植物多样性与林地、水体的景观破碎度呈显著负相关（P<0.05）;乔木层植物多样性与草地最大斑块指数呈显著负相关（P<0.05）。公园景观破碎度的增大可能会导致植被景观面积减少。建议在公园植物造景初期就要重视对灌木的运用,尤其是一些生态本底比较脆弱的公园,以提高植物群落的稳定性和低维护性。同时应尽可能保留大面积的核心植被生态斑块,更好地发挥其生态功能。研究结果可为城市公园的规划设计、植物群落的优化配置与城市生物多样性保护提供依据。     

上海大金山岛植被功能组成对草本植物、土壤动物和细菌多样性的影响

揭示植物群落对土壤动物和微生物多样性的上行调控效应有助于理解不同营养级生物多样性的维持机制。以往的研究主要集中在植物物种多样性对土壤动物和微生物多样性的影响,而关于植被功能组成自下而上的影响研究较少。以上海大金山岛13个植物群落为对象,在分析落叶木本植物占比与树木和草本物种多样性,以及土壤动物和细菌多样性的关系基础上,利用结构方程模型区分了落叶木本植物占比对土壤动物和细菌多样性的直接与间接影响效应。结果显示：落叶木本植物占比不仅分别对草本物种多样性和土壤动物多样性分别产生直接正效应和负效应（P<0.01;P<0.05）,也会通过草本物种的级联效应间接的降低地下土壤细菌多样性（P<0.10）。然而,木本植物多样性仅与草本物种多样性显著正关联（P<0.10）,与土壤动物和细菌多样性无显著关联（P>0.10）。该研究结果表明,相较于木本植物多样性,落叶植物占比在中亚热带北缘森林生态系统不同营养级生物多样性维持格局中扮演着更为重要的角色。     

杉木林改造成乡土阔叶林对林下植物物种组成和多样性的影响

把杉木林改造成乡土阔叶林,不仅能提供高价值木材,而且能够提升生态系统服务功能,是我国目前改造退化针叶林最常见的经营模式之一,但这些改变对其林下植物物种组成和多样性的影响及机制我们尚知之甚少。以南亚热带杉木林采伐迹地上重新种植的杉木林、红锥林和米老排林为研究对象,调查研究其灌木层和草本层植物物种组成和多样性,结果表明：（1）和杉木林相比,改造后的红锥林和米老排林灌木层的植物物种丰富度和多样性均呈极显著降低（P<0.01）,但其草本层植物只有物种丰富度极显著降低（P<0.01）,多样性均无显著变化（P>0.05）;（2）主成分分析（PCA）表明改造后的林分灌木层和草本层的植物物种组成发生明显的变化,冗余分析（RDA）确定导致林分灌木层植物物种组成发生变化的主要原因是杉木林改造成红锥林和米老排林后的冠层透光率、土壤碳氮比、土壤含水量和凋落物碳氮比的显著变化,而冠层透光率和土壤碳氮比的显著变化是导致其林下草本层植物物种组成发生明显变异的主要因子;（3）方差分解结果显示微地形、乔木特性和土壤理化性质的独立效应对灌木层和草本层植物物种组成的影响高于它们的交互效应。该研究为科学经营管理人工林和提高人工林生态系统多功能性提供科学依据。     

氮添加对红松人工林草本层植物多样性的影响

氮沉降是驱动生物多样性变化的重要因素之一。为了探索氮添加对红松（Pinus koraiensis）人工林草本层植物多样性的影响及其驱动机制,以黑龙江凉水国家级自然保护区红松人工林为研究对象,设置N0（对照处理,0 kg hm^-2 a^-1）、N20（低氮处理,20 kg hm^-2 a^-1）、N40（中氮处理,40 kg hm^-2 a^-1）和N80（高氮处理,80 kg hm^-2 a^-1）4个施氮水平,进行6年的氮添加实验。结果表明：（1）氮添加显著降低草本层3个功能群的密度和盖度,而对高度无显著影响;（2）6年氮添加使对照与施氮处理间群落相似度随施氮水平的增加而减小;（3）氮添加显著降低草本植物的丰富度和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数,而未对蕨类和木本植物的丰富度和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数产生显著影响,对草本层3个功能群的Pielou均匀度指数均无显著影响;（4）氮添加对草本植物的C、N、P含量、N：P、C：P产生显著影响,对木本植物的P含量、N：P、C：P产生显著影响,对蕨类植物的C：N：P生态化学计量均无显著影响;（5）草本植物多样性与土壤化学性质无显著的相关关系,草本植物丰富度、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数与植物盖度、密度呈显著的正相关关系,丰富度与植物N含量呈显著的负相关关系,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数与植物N：P呈显著的负相关关系。研究表明6年氮添加改变植物草本层中物种组成和群落结构,3个功能群密度和盖度显著降低,高度未产生显著变化,仅降低草本植物的丰富度和多样性。造成该现象的原因可能是,不同物种对于氮的利用特性和耐受程度存在差异,氮添加引起草本植物养分失衡,改变物种组成和群落结构,从而影响草本植物多样性。研究结果可为我国温带森林生态系统持续性管理提供数据和理论基础。     

水分梯度下荒漠植物多样性与稳定性对土壤因子的响应

荒漠生态系统多样性的研究对维持荒漠区群落稳定性有着重要意义。以艾比湖流域荒漠植物群落为研究对象,基于野外样方调查数据及实验分析,探讨不同水分梯度下植物多样性与稳定性的变化规律及土壤因子对二者的影响。结果表明：（1）随土壤水分含量下降,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H）、Simpson多样性指数（D）、Pielou均匀度指数（J）、Margalef丰富度指数（R）和种群密度稳定性（ICV）指数均呈下降趋势,且当土壤含水量低于4.65%时,荒漠植物多样性与群落稳定性总体显著降低（P<0.05）;（2）不同水分梯度下影响艾比湖流域植物多样性的土壤因子具有差异性,高水梯度为硝态氮与有机质,中水梯度下影响植物多样性的因子为pH,低水梯度为全氮和有机质;（3）仅在环境适宜的情况下,土壤因子（土壤含盐量与有机质）才能对群落稳定性产生显著影响（P<0.01）;（4）三种梯度下,物种多样性均对群落稳定性有显著性影响（P<0.001）,植物多样性与群落稳定性存在正相关关系。     

北京松山自然保护区典型植物群落物种多样性研究

基于2017年对北京松山自然保护区6种典型植物群落物种调查数据,选取α、β多样性指数描述植物群落乔、灌、草本层植被多样性特征,分析影响植物群落多样性的主导因素。结果表明：(1)研究区内共有40科58属75种植物种;主要乔木优势种为油松(Pinus tabulaeformis)、蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica)、毛白杨(Populus tomentosa)和山杨(Populus davidiana);灌木层优势种为土庄绣线菊(Spiraea pubescens Turcz.)和扁担杆(Grewia biloba G. Don);林下草本多以菊科植物(Compositae)为主。(2)不同植物生长型间Shannon Wiener多样性与丰富度指数排序均为草本层＞灌木层＞乔木层;随着山体高度的增加,林下草本α多样性指数增大,草本物种丰富度、均匀度都对其α多样性影响较大。(3)分析从山底到山顶草本β多样性指数的变化趋势发现,草本共有种经历先减少后增加,物种替代率则呈先增大后降低的变化模式。研究认为,在今后生物多样性保护实施过程中,需按照自然演替规律,综合考虑冠层物种组成与结构、微地形的调控作用,制定合理可行的保护经验和技术,为森林群落多样性保护及其生态功能的发挥提供科学支撑。     

城市遗存山体植被群落特征对不同人为干扰方式及强度的响应

快速城市化发展对城市内植被和生物多样性产生了显著的影响,研究植物群落特征对人为干扰的响应规律可为城市残余生境生态恢复、生物多样性保护及植被的合理开发利用提供科学依据。以典型的喀斯特多山城市贵阳市为研究区域,城市遗存山体为研究对象,基于遥感解译与群落生态学调查和分析等方法,探讨了不同人为干扰方式及强度对城市遗存山体植被特征、群落物种组成和多样性的影响。结果表明：（1）中度人为干扰强度下城市遗存山体植被覆盖度（FVC）和植被净初级生产力（NPP）数值最高;复垦干扰下FVC和NPP值相一致且为最高,中小型公园化利用山体FVC和NPP值完全不一致且NPP最低。（2）不同人为干扰强度和方式下城市遗存山体间的平均物种数和生活型构成均存在显著性差异。整体上城市遗存山体的平均物种数在不同干扰强度下表现为轻度人为干扰 > 中度人为干扰 > 重度人为干扰;不同干扰方式下的平均物种数呈现为人为踩踏 > 构筑物 > 工程建设 > 公园化利用 > 复垦 > 工程开挖的趋势;重度干扰下城市遗存山体的落叶乔木、灌木占比最高,中度干扰下常绿灌木和多年生草本为主。（3）不同干扰强度下城市遗存山体植物群落垂直结构各层次物种多样性指数均偏低且存在显著性差异,乔木层、灌木层Shannon-Wiener （H''）、Simpson （D）、Margelf （R）指数在中度干扰强度最大,而在草本层均最小;均匀度Pielou （Jh）指数在乔木层和草本层中表现为轻度人为干扰 > 中度人为干扰 > 重度人为干扰,而在灌木层完全相反。（4）乔木层4种多样性指数在不同干扰方式下的差异较大;灌木层和草本层的多样性指数在人为踩踏和构筑物建设干扰方式下显著高于其它干扰方式,工程开挖为主的干扰方式下灌木层和草本层多样性各指数均偏低且存在显著性差异。总体而言,轻中度人为干扰对城市遗存山体植物群落物种组成和多样性的影响不突出,且中度干扰对植物群落物种多样性具有一定的促进作用,但重度干扰对城市遗存山体植物群落特征存在明显的负面影响。     

基于结构方程模型分析林分空间结构对草本物种多样性的影响

林分空间结构的改变直接影响林下草本物种的多样性。以针叶纯林、针阔混交林和常绿阔叶林为研究对象,采用结构方程模型研究了林分空间结构对林下草本物种多样性的影响,并探讨了林分水平空间结构,垂直空间结构以及林木竞争态势对林下草本物种多样性的影响的相对重要性。结果表明,林分水平空间结构对林下草本的物种多样性指数和物种均匀性指数均存在极显著的影响（P < 0.001）,影响系数高达0.96和0.89,对林下草本物种丰富度存在显著影响（P < 0.01）,影响系数为0.22;林分垂直空间结对林下草本丰富度和物种均匀性指数均存在极显著的影响（P < 0.001）,影响系数分别为0.86和0.43,对林下草本物种多样性指数存在显著影响（P < 0.01）,影响系数为0.16;林木竞争指数与林下草本丰富度和物种多样性指数也均存在极显著的影响（P < 0.001）,但影响系数较小,分别为-0.47和-0.30,而对林下草本物种均匀性指数未达到显著影响作用（P > 0.05）,影响系数仅为-0.04。整体上看,林分水平空间结构、垂直空间结构和林木竞争态势均对林下草本物种多样性有较强的影响作用,但从影响系数看,林分水平空间结构的影响作用最大,垂直空间结构次之,林木竞争态势的影响作用最小。因此,欲维持或改善林下草本物种多样性,应采取调整林分水平空间结构为主,垂直空间结构调整为辅,并适当降低林木竞争程度的综合经营措施。     

北京温榆河-北运河生态廊道自生植物多样性对城市化的响应

城市化进程带来的城市生境破碎化对城市野生动植物多样性产生了巨大的影响,而生态廊道作为城市中的绿色线性空间,对缓解城市化进程下的生物多样性丧失具有重要作用。自生植物不仅是城市植物多样性的重要组成部分,也为乡土动物提供了赖以生存的资源,在低维护植物景观营造中起到关键作用。聚焦北京温榆河-北运河生态廊道,在对廊道自生植物总体物种组成进行分析的基础上,探究城市化梯度上自生植物物种组成与多样性特征差异,并分析不同自生植物种群对城市化水平的适应性。共调查到温榆河-北运河自生植物195种,隶属于73科,156属,以自生草本植物为主。各城市化水平下自生木本植物的α多样性无显著差异;中低城市化水平下草本植物的α多样性显著高于其他水平（P<0.05）。随着城市化水平升高,自生乔木和一、二年生的β多样性升高,自生多年生草本、自生入侵植物和外来植物的β多样性值下降。在城市化梯度上的生态位宽度均值排序为入侵植物 > 乡土植物 > 国外外来植物 > 国内外来植物。将生态廊道自生植物按照生态位宽度划分为广适型、中适型和狭适型,并依据生态位重叠筛选了与15种入侵植物在城市化梯度上适应性相近的自生乡土植物种类。本研究结果可以为营造稳定的低维护自生植物群落,抵抗外来入侵植物的扩散,实现城市河流生态廊道的生物多样性保护功能提供参考。     

Butterfly-plant network in urban landscape: Implication for conservation and urban greening

Butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) contribute to the ecosystem services and thereby qualify as a group deserving conservation effort. Information on the butterfly-plant links is used as a foundation to sustain population and enhance conservation and management. Thus, in the present study, the structure of a butterfly-plant network in an urban landscape like Kolkata, India, was deciphered highlighting metrics like degree distribution, nestedness, and interaction strength and specialization index. A total of forty eight butterfly species associated with thirty different angiosperm plant species were observed during the study period of one year. While Lantana camara was observed to be the dominant plant species with 37 links to different butterflies, the Catopsilia pyranthe butterfly species was dominant in terms of the generalist pattern of links (21 links) with the plants. Differential ability of the shrubs and herbs in the sustenance of the butterflies was reflected in the network indices using the herbs and the shrubs, separately. In urban landscapes with restricted variety of flowering plants, an estimate of relative strength of interactions enables identification and further use of the concerned species in sustaining butterfly populations. In accordance with these propositions, the butterfly-plant network illustrated in the present instance may prove useful in selection of plant species required for the enhancement of population of desired butterfly species in urban areas like Kolkata, India.     

Shifts in species richness, herbivore specialization, and plant resistance along elevation gradients

Environmental gradients have been postulated to generate patterns of diversity and diet specialization, in which more stable environments, such as tropical regions, should promote higher diversity and specialization. Using field sampling and phylogenetic analyses of butterfly fauna over an entire alpine region, we show that butterfly specialization (measured as the mean phylogenetic distance between utilized host plants) decreases at higher elevations, alongside a decreasing gradient of plant diversity. Consistent with current hypotheses on the relationship between biodiversity and the strength of species interactions, we experimentally show that a higher level of generalization at high elevations is associated with lower levels of plant resistance: across 16 pairs of plant species, low-elevation plants were more resistant vis-à-vis their congeneric alpine relatives. Thus, the links between diversity, herbivore diet specialization, and plant resistance along an elevation gradient suggest a causal relationship analogous to that hypothesized along latitudinal gradients.     

Effect of agricultural land‐use change on the structure of a temperate forest ant–plant interaction network

Studies on the responses of ant–plant interactions to land‐use change have mainly focused on tropical habitats, usually without considering the impacts on the structure of interaction networks. Here we show that land‐use modifies the structure of the ant–plant interaction networks in a temperate habitat. Ant–plant interactions and plant diversity were recorded in an oak forest and agricultural land in central Mexico. We registered five ant species in the oak forest, and four ant species in the agricultural land. Plant diversity was higher in the agricultural land than in the oak forest. In the ant–plant networks of both sites, our results showed a higher dependence of ants on the plants on which they feed than vice versa, and the ants Formica spp. and the plants Barkleyanthus salicifolius were the species with the most strength and greatest influence in the network structure. The ant–plant network in the oak forest showed a nested structure. However, the network at the agricultural land site showed non‐nestedness; the identity of both ants and plants with the highest values of specialization was different and the number of ant species in the network was decreased, but the number of plant species with which they interacted significantly increased. Both ant–plant networks were equally tolerant to simulated extinction of individual species. We conclude that temperate forest ant–plant networks can be inherently fragile and susceptible to the effects of agricultural land‐use change, not on the number of interacting species but on their identity.     

Opposed latitudinal patterns of network‐derived and dietary specialization in avian plant–frugivore interaction systems

Latitudinal patterns of biodiversity have been studied for centuries, but it is only during the last decades that species interaction networks have been used to examine the proposed latitudinal gradient of biotic specialization. These studies have given idiosyncratic results, which may either be because of genuine biological differences between systems, different concepts and scales used to quantify biotic specialization or because the methodological approaches used to compare interaction networks were inappropriate. Here we carefully examine the latitudinal specialization gradient using a global dataset of avian plant–frugivore assemblages and interaction networks. In particular, we test whether network‐derived specialization patterns differ from patterns based on assemblage‐level information on avian dietary preferences on specific food types. We found that network‐derived measures of specialization (complementary specialization H₂′ and < d’>, modularity Q) increased with latitude, i.e. frugivorous birds divide the niche of fruiting plants most finely at high latitudes where they also formed more modular interaction networks than at tropical latitudes. However, the strength and significance of the relationship between specialization metrics and latitude was influenced by the methodological approach. On the other hand, assemblage‐level information on avian specialization on fruit diet (i.e. the proportion of obligate frugivorous bird species feeding primarily on fruit) revealed an opposed latitudinal pattern as more bird species were specialized on fruit diet in tropical than in temperate assemblages. This difference in the latitudinal specialization gradient reflects that obligate frugivores require a high diversity of fruit plants, as observed in tropical systems, and fulfil more generalized roles in plant–frugivore networks than bird species feeding on different food types. Future research should focus on revealing the underlying ecological, historical and evolutionary mechanisms shaping these patterns. Our results highlight the necessity of comparing different scales of biotic specialization for a better understanding of geographical patterns of specialization in resource–consumer interactions.     

Effects of plant structure on butterfly diversity in Mt. Marsabit Forest – northern Kenya

Butterflies, like most forest dependent animals are good ecological indicators of the health of the forests they dwell. For example, butterfly species richness decreases after a forest disturbance and fragmentation but a few species may subsequently invade the forest fragment and boost the species richness. Studies were conducted to determine the effects of human activity and seasonal changes on butterfly species in the affected new habitats. Results showed that both seasonal and habitat changes significantly affect the butterfly abundance (P = 0.0001). Similarly, there was significant correlation between plant diversity and butterfly diversity in wet season (r = 0.854) and dry season (r = 0.855). The significance of these studies as a useful tool for sustainable forest use and conservation is discussed.     

Butterfly–host plant synchrony determines patterns of host use across years and regions

Variation in the degree of synchrony among host plants and herbivores can disrupt or intensify species interactions, alter the strength of natural selection on traits associated with phenological timing, and drive novel host plant associations. We used field observations from three regions during four seasons to examine how timing of the butterfly herbivore Anthocharis cardamines relative to six host plant species (Arabis hirsuta, Cardamine pratensis, Arabis glabra, Arabidopsis thaliana, Thlaspi caerulescens and Capsella bursa‐pastoris) influenced host species use and the choice of host plant individuals within populations. Butterflies laid a larger fraction of their eggs on species that were closer to the butterfly's preferred stage of development than on other host species. Within host plant populations, butterflies showed a stronger preference for individuals with a late phenology when plants within the population were on average more developed at the time of butterfly flight. Our results suggest that changes in synchrony between herbivores and their host plants are associated with changes in both host species use and the choice of host plant individuals differing in phenology within populations. This is likely to be an important mechanism generating variation in interaction intensities and trait selection in the wild, and therefore also relevant for understanding how anthropogenic induced changes, such as global warming, will influence natural communities.     

Genetic factors affecting food‐plant specialization of an oligophagous seed predator

Several ecological and genetic factors affect the diet specialization of insect herbivores. The evolution of specialization may be constrained by lack of genetic variation in herbivore performance on different food‐plant species. By traditional view, trade‐offs, that is, negative genetic correlations between the performance of the herbivores on different food‐plant species favour the evolution of specialization. To investigate whether there is genetic variation or trade‐offs in herbivore performance between different food plants that may influence specialization of the oligophagous seed‐eating herbivore, Lygaeus equestris (Heteroptera), we conducted a feeding trial in laboratory using four food‐plant species. Although L. equestris is specialized on Vincetoxicum hirundinaria (Apocynaceae) to some degree, it occasionally feeds on alternative food‐plant species. We did not find significant negative genetic correlations between mortality, developmental time and adult biomass of L. equestris on the different food‐plant species. We found genetic variation in mortality and developmental time of L. equestris on some of the food plants, but not in adult biomass. Our results suggest that trade‐offs do not affect adaptation and specialization of L. equestris to current and novel food‐plant species, but the lack of genetic variation may restrict food‐plant utilization. As food‐plant specialization of herbivores may have wide‐ranging effects, for instance, on coevolving plant–herbivore interactions and speciation, it is essential to thoroughly understand the factors behind the specialization process. Our findings provide valuable information about the role of genetic factors in food‐plant specialization of this oligophagous herbivore.     

Early succession of butterfly and plant communities on set-aside fields

 Hypotheses on secondary succession of butterfly and plant communities were tested using naturally developed 1- to 4-year-old set-aside fields (n = 16), sown fields (n = 8) and old meadows (n = 4) in 1992 in South Germany. Pioneer successional fields (1st and 2nd year of succession, dominated by annuals) and early successional fields (3rd and 4th year of succession where perennials, especially grasses became dominant) had fewer plant species than mid-successional fields (old meadows). In contrast to established hypotheses, mean number of plant species decreased from 1- to 4-year-old set-aside fields. Species richness of butterfly communities did not change during the first four years of succession, but species composition changed greatly. Pioneer successional fields were characterized by (1) specialized butterflies depending on annual pioneer foodplants (e.g. Issoria lathonia), and (2) species preferring the pioneer successions despite their host plants being more abundant on early and mid-successional fields (e.g. Papilio machaon). The variability in butterfly species richness was best explained by flower abundance which was closely correlated with plant species richness. Species whose abundance was correlated with habitat connectivity were significantly smaller than species which correlated with flower abundance. Numbers of caterpillar species were correlated with numbers of adult butterfly species. Life-history features of butterflies changed significantly from pioneer to early and mid-successional fields. We found decreasing body size and migrational ability, decreasing numbers of species hibernating as imago, decreasing numbers of generations and increasing larval stage duration with age of succession, but, contrary to expectation, host plant specialization, numbers of egg-cluster laying species and egg diameter did not change with successional age. Received 18 September 1995 / Accepted: 17 July 1996