Study area

Butterfly survey

Habitat parameters

Calculation of the Swiss Species Temperature Index (SwSTI)

Statistical analyses

Butterfly assemblages

Drivers

Community response

Species response

Hypothesis 1: Drivers of alpine butterfly communities: Spatial drivers representing habitat availability are more important for the composition of butterfly communities in an alpine context than elevation

Hypothesis 2: Community response to climate change: As a result of climate warming, butterfly communities are more warm-adapted today compared to two decades ago

Hypothesis 3.1: Range shifts as a response to climate change: Butterfly species shifted their mean elevational distribution upwards, but lag behind the local warming of 0.9 °C since the turn of the millenium

H3.2: Cold-adapted species respond to climate change by a more pronounced upward shift than less cold-adapted species

H3.3: The response to climate change is more pronounced in species that are locally restricted to a narrow range of habitat types

Prospects and research priorities