Butterfly populations in the Florida Big Cypress Swamp: Can they be used as bioindicators?

The need for biological monitoring is increasing in importance as conservation programs are established for natural areas. The primary purpose of this study was to gain basic information on butterfly assemblages that would be useful in developing the use of butterflies as bioindicators. I examined the diversity and seasonal abundance of adult butterflies in seven locations comprising seven habitat types in the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in southern Florida; two wet meadows, two pine flatwoods, two ecotones, and a disturbed roadside were studied. One ecotone occurred between a wet meadow and a dry hammock, the other between a pine flatwoods and a wet prairie marsh community. Forty-three butterfly species were found during the one-year study. Several butterfly species were found to be potential indicators in most of the habitats studied. Overall, butterfly diversity did not differ significantly among habitats or between seasons, although seasonal differences in abundance were apparent.