PARENT SESSION
Tuesday, August 8, 5:00-6:30 pm
Poster Session 9 - Restoration and conservation ecology and ecosystem management
Exhibit Hall, Ballroom Level, Cook Convention Center

Tree removal expands habitat for lupine and frosted elfin butterfly.

Williams, Ernest¹, Pfitsch, William¹, ¹ Hamilton College, Clinton, NY, USA

ABSTRACT- The decline of the New York threatened frosted elfin butterfly Callophrys irus (Godart) populations in the Rome Sand Plains (RSP) is directly related to loss of habitat of its host plant, wild blue lupine, Lupinus perennis L. as white pines invade the open sandy habitats where lupines grow. A frosted elfin population remains where lupines are the densest. We tested the hypotheses that tree canopy hinders lupine performance and restricts elfin behavior. Removal of central white pine trees in experimental plots resulted in dramatic increases in canopy openness. Lupine flowering stems and lupine cover significantly increased in the tree removal plots and remained constant or declined in the control plots. The total number of lupine stems has decreased in both control and cleared plots. Male frosted elfin butterflies establish mating territories in open sandy areas at the edges of lupine patches, particularly along tree-lined trails. New territories were established in several newly opened sandy patches where trees had been removed and have been maintained since the first year following tree removal. This rapid response by the butterflies reflects their behavioral choices for open areas and may match the flight paths of females moving among lupine patches. Selective tree removal at RSP benefits individual lupine plants and increases habitat for frosted elfin butterflies, but more extensive habitat manipulation may be necessary to increase lupine population numbers.

Key words: barrens, restoration, lupine