Action Plans

Following the signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) were drawn up throughout Britain at national level, county level & local authority level, with the intention of arresting the loss and degradation of habitat and associated decline of species. Scientific research has established that increasing biological diversity in any one geographical area not only increases its production capability but also its resilience to environmental change.

Butterfly Conservation's South-Central England RAP (2000), was complementary to the BAPs insofar as it identified priority species and addressed the particular issues concerning Lepidoptera & their habitats. Based upon national criteria & definitions, it set out conservation actions & targets for butterflies, moths & their habitats in South-Central England (Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight & Wiltshire) for the period 2000 - 2010. The intent was to arrest the decline of all butterfly & moth species with special emphasis on the high and medium priority butterfly and macro-moth species.

The principal aims were:

• To seek opportunities to extend the breeding areas and their connectivity for the high & medium priority species; in essence, to build larger blocks of appropriately managed landscape.
• Where ecological knowledge is inadequate for a species then undertake research to rectify this & publish the findings.
• To seek collaboration with partners & to provide realistic management advice to land managers & owners.
• Where appropriate, consider possible acquisition of sites as nature reserves or, alternatively, set up management agreements with the present land owners.
• Where no prospect of recolonisation within the former range of a species exists, then to consider re-establishment of key species.
• Through education & publicity to increase the public awareness of the plight of Lepidoptera & their habitats & the work of Butterfly Conservation.

The period 2000-2010 undoubtedly gave rise to substantial advances in all of the above, with many conservation success stories to be proud of. However, there is no doubt that for many species the declines continue, requiring that our conservation efforts should be increased still further.