Austrian Butterfly And Moth Monitoring Gauges Biodiversity Decline

INNERVALS, AUSTRIA - JUNE 24: A chequered skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon) butterfly perches on the finger of a volunteer who was helping to collect data for the Viel-Falter butterfly and moth monitoring program on June 24, 2023 near Innervals, Austria. The Viel-Falter initiative, lead by the University of Innsbruck, is operating a nationwide monitoring program that combines scientific and volunteer data collection on Austria's butterfly and moth populations. The data serves as an indicator to assess the state of biodiversity across the country, which, like elsewhere across Europe, is in steep decline. Human intrusion, through agriculture, water diversion, urban sprawl, construction and other activities that destroy natural habitats, has caused the decline, and climate change is becoming an increasing threat, especially in Alpine regions, which are warming twice as fast as the global average. The European Parliament is currently considering the EU Nature Restoration Law that includes the aim of restoring natural habitats. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)