Summary
This dataset release presents site-level butterfly abundance indices for 2020 from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, calculated using General Additive Models to standardise counts across over 2,000 monitoring locations. Site indices serve as relative population measures that have been validated against more intensive mark-recapture methods. The data support conservation management decisions by revealing spatial variation in species abundance and population trends at local and national scales.
Regional applicability
This study is conducted in and directly applicable to United Kingdom conditions. The dataset covers England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, making it directly relevant to UK conservation policy, land management planning, and assessment of butterfly populations under different farming and habitat management regimes across the four nations.
Key measures
Site indices (relative population abundance measures); species-specific abundance across transect and targeted survey sites; collated indices at national and country level (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
Outcomes reported
This dataset provides individual site indices for UK butterfly species derived from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, representing relative measures of population abundance across over 2,000 sites. Site indices were calculated using General Additive Models for transect sites and targeted surveys, adjusted for phenology and habitat area.
Funding & declared interests
Funding: NERC; JNCC
Extracted verbatim from the paper’s funding, acknowledgements and conflict-of-interest sections — shown as neutral provenance, not a judgement on the research.
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