questions and answers

Jaakko Kullberg jaakko.kullberg at helsinki.fi
Mon Jan 29 20:09:49 EST 2001


hi everybody!
Some additional info to Kimmo's comments:
 
kimmo keinänen wrote in message <950q89$46j$1 at news.kolumbus.fi>...
>William Engell  wrote:
>
>How many collectors are there?
>Why do they collect?
>What portion of collectors are involved with scientific activity?
>What effect does collecting have on populations?
>How vigorous is anti-collecting activity?
>Are there any cogent arguments against collecting?>
>
>
>I live and do some observations in Finland , Europe.
>I'll give a few figures from here. We have a population
>of   5 million , and some 1000 collectors . Maybe some
>600+ are members in The Finnish Lepidopterist Society.
 
 
The number of members is up to 900 I think.
 
>I believe that at least 400 collectors list their observations
>and turn them over to the Lepidopterist Society for mapping
>and study. We're on our way to have a Data bank online to
>make this easier. These observations are all "scientific" .
 
 
The first Macroleps Atlas was just produced. It compises of  about 1,600 000
records (not specimens) of species in 10 x 10 km grids. There were not all
the records as the contributor's had to consentrate to the old data and
mainly to the records before 1996, although they represented the most
interesting records.
>
>No-one has been able to say that collecting has effect on
>populations. Some species here are protected by law , and
>not collected. Parnassius apollo, P.mnemosyne, some Blues
>and a few others. A scarce little population of a borderline
>species (just able to exist this far north) is not collected by
>a joint agreement. Ex.  Apatura iris in south-finland breeding
>locality.
>
Yes, and now eg. Euphydryas maturna is protected bacause of European Union
laws. It is one of the most common species in forested areas in SE Finland.
We have severe problems with two natural habitats. There is not enough open
meadow areas, forest fire areas and so on and vice versa our old forests are
destroyed almost completely especially in the more species rich south. And
the they advertise Finland as the most forested country in the world. I warn
you all do not finnish your forests. Eg. in North America the most efficient
tree cutters were finns and it is proved that they could "timber" 25% more
trees than an average forestry men.
 
>In Finland there are some 950+ species of macro-lepidoptera.
 
 
Totally over 2450 species when micros are counted with. However many species
are recorded as migrants only. it is not "rare" that finns collect species
know to be "local" some 1000 km south to southeast. Among that high number
of collectors there is abot 40 people who also collect micros. In general
very few people are solely interested in butterflies.
>
>kim k
>Helsinki
>
>
jaska
 
>
>
>
>
>
>
 
 
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------
 
   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:
 
   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl
 


More information about the Leps-l mailing list