Researcher: Jessica Grealey, M.Sc. Candidate
Supervisor: Dr. Steve Murphy, Department of Environment and Resource Studies
Summary
It is expected that dramatic changes in land-use have a noticeable impact on butterfly abundance and diversity. The goal of Jessica’s research is to provide detailed base-line data on current butterfly abundance and diversity in the Region of Waterloo with a comparative analysis of changes in species composition along an urban gradient.
The information collected will provide valuable information on the health of the ecosystems within the Region and allow for the prediction of how different land-use activities are potentially affecting butterfly diversity. It has the potential to identify centers of diversity, rare species, and/or unique communities or habitats within the Region which can help to guide conservation and land-use planning. Additionally, information collected during this study may provide important insights into Regional Policy Planning and assess the effectiveness of designating environmentally sensitive areas to protect species diversity.