Grazing and mowing practices drive complex dynamics in the structure of butterfly communities in semi‐natural grasslands

Abstract Rural abandonment and agricultural intensification are major threats to the conservation of biodiversity in Europe. Butterflies are excellent bioindicators of environmental change and can be used to assess the impact of global change on agroforestry mosaics. We used long‐term spatio‐temporal butterfly data to explore how grazing and mowing practices affect butterfly communities in the semi‐natural grasslands of the northwest Mediterranean Basin. Changes in butterfly richness, abundance and habitat indicators were recorded using standardized transect counts. We focused primarily on the impact of management practices but also considered their interaction with other drivers (climate and habitat configuration). The most intensive levels of grazing did not correspond to the lowest butterfly richness; rather, they were correlated with lower abundances but supported a greater number of open habitat specialists. More intense mowing was also associated with low abundances and communities dominated by common and open‐habitat species. Habitat configuration variables were also influential: open areas favoured greater butterfly richness and abundance, as well as more grassland specialists; greener vegetation, as measured by satellite imagery, led to an increase in butterfly abundance and communities composed of more generalist and forest species. Our study demonstrates the significant impact of grassland management on butterfly communities and offers insights into adaptive rangeland practices. It also indicates that increased levels of mowing and grazing can alter the composition of butterfly communities without necessarily affecting their diversity. This suggests that a dynamic restructuring of butterfly communities may occur in response to the environmental and habitat changes induced by these practices.