Because of a reduction in mowing, three times as many specimens were recorded in the central population of False Ringlets than last year

Between the 4th June and 6th July, we monitored the size of the central population of False Ringlets (Coenonympha oedippus), which inhabit the area between Ig and Škofljica, using the recording method for all observed butterflies. In an area equal to the size of 2.5 hectares, where we recorded 135 specimens in 2014, we recorded 409 specimens this year, which is three times as many as last year. This is the first population increase in the last 15 years, as it has been in decline since 2001, when we started monitoring its size. The reason for this increase in population is due to a reduction in mowing during the previous year, when owners were not able to mow the meadows in the aforementioned area due to the amount of rain during the summer and autumn months, making the ground too wet to allow for mowing with a tractor. This time, Mother Nature lent a helping hand, but it is our responsibility to take the initiative if we want to preserve this species on the Ljubljana Marsh. For this reason, the ‘People for the Marsh’ project has been striving to reach an agreement with the owners of these meadows regarding the method for managing land to meet the needs of the False Ringlet and many other species of insects and birds, which are most affected by mowing meadow land too early and too often.