Populations of grassland butterflies decline

Beautiful grassland butterflies have been living in grasslands all around the world. The European Grassland Butterfly Industry has been observing the lives of the butterflies in grasslands around all of Europe. Starting in 1990 through 2011, seventeen different butterfly species were observed and watched. Through those few years, eight species have declined, two have stayed the same, one has increased, and six are undetermined. According to the researchers, the increase of agriculture and abandonment of grasslands has increased the disappearance of butterflies. Pesticides used for agriculture are very vulnerable for the butterflies to eat and then later die. Farmers who try and tame a grassland but fail to gain profit leave their spot to find another. Abandonment of these grasslands allows the area to become overgrown and replaced with woodlands and scrubs. These two factors force the butterflies to migrate to other habitats where they are not use to living. Many in the process will starve and die. A possible solution would be that the European Grassland Butterfly Industry would stand up and fight to make a change. They should try and set up a grassland that is untouchable to the farm industry. A downside to this solution would be to find a proper grassland and find the money to buy the area. This would allow the grassland butterflies to live, repopulate, and perpetuate the species.

http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/populations-of-grassland-butterflies-decline