Provide a future for butterflies and moths

Future of Butterflies in Europe III is the third symposium on this theme. The first one was held in 1989, marking the start of a period of fruitful research, new insights on butterfly ecology and distribution, and the rise of a broad awareness of butterflies as indicators and tools in nature conservation. The second congress, in 2008, witnessed the emergence of butterfly conservation in a European perspective, with butterflies as one of the leading groups of species targeted in conservation as well as in EU policy - and with increasing attention for the role of moths.

Today, with a full-grown community of scientists, conservation practitioners and volunteers working on Lepidoptera, it is increasingly important to exchange ideas about ongoing studies and future plans. And with continued threats from both climate and land use change, the sense of urgency remains high!

We therefore feel it is time to take a fresh look again at the scientific challenges we face to provide a future for butterflies and moths in Europe. The focus will still be on their ecology and conservation, but from a broader perspective of community ecology and global change. We therefore encourage contributions on related topics, such as climate change, urban ecology, ecosystem services, monitoring, citizen science, and policy. Leading scientists will be introducing sessions on various themes.

Dates

• Deadline for registration of poster abstracts: 15th February 2012
• Deadline for late registration 15th February 2012