History matters: Impact of historical land use on butterfly diversity in clear-cuts in a boreal landscape

The results from our study demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that the legacy of historical land-use in remnant plant communities can affect butterfly diversity in clear-cuts and hence the large-scale dynamics over a timescale of a full tree rotation. The results of this study have implications for forest management practices. Replanting clear-cuts on land that was previously meadows with deciduous trees or allowing the forest to regenerate naturally instead of planting conifers would make it possible to preserve a greater diversity of habitats for butterflies and other organisms. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.