Effects of Vegetation Heterogeneity on Butterfly Diversity in Urban Parks: Applying the Patch–Matrix Framework at Fine Scales

Dan Han, Cheng Wang (), Junying She, Zhenkai Sun and Luqin Yin
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Dan Han: School of Design and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Cheng Wang: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Junying She: China Railway Fifth Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 102600, China
Zhenkai Sun: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Luqin Yin: Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-24

Abstract: (1) Background: Urban parks play a critical role in conserving biodiversity within city landscapes, yet the effects of fine-scale microhabitat heterogeneity remain poorly understood. This study examines how land cover and vegetation unit type within parks influence butterfly diversity. (2) Methods: From July to September 2019 and June to September 2020, adult butterflies were surveyed in 27 urban parks across Beijing. We classified vegetation into units based on vertical structure and management intensity, and then applied the patch–matrix framework and landscape metrics to quantify fine-scale heterogeneity in vegetation unit composition and configuration. Generalized linear models (GLM), generalized additive models (GAM), and random forest (RF) models were applied to identify factors influencing butterfly richness (Chao1 index) and abundance. (3) Results: In total, 10,462 individuals representing 37 species, 28 genera, and five families were recorded. Model results revealed that the proportion of park area covered by spontaneous herbaceous areas (SHA), wooded spontaneous meadows (WSM), and the Shannon diversity index (SHDI) of vegetation units were positively associated with butterfly species richness. In contrast, butterfly abundance was primarily influenced by the proportion of park area covered by cultivated meadows (CM) and overall green-space coverage. (4) Conclusions: Fine-scale vegetation patch composition within urban parks significantly influences butterfly diversity. Our findings support applying the patch–matrix framework at intra-park scales and suggest that integrating spontaneous herbaceous zones—especially wooded spontaneous meadows—with managed flower-rich meadows will enhance butterfly diversity in urban parks.

Keywords: Lepidoptera; biodiversity; green space; management; land cover; vegetation type; microhabitat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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