Page 45 - Grapevine July-August 2015

Around The Vineyard

Vineyard Natural Habitats
Assist with Butterfly Comeback
By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences

P ROSSER, Wash. – Washington wine WSU researchers recorded 29 separate species
grape vineyards experimenting with sus- in “habitat-enhanced” vineyards, compared to
tainable pest management systems are nine species in conventional vineyards. In terms
seeing an unexpected benefit: an increase in but- of raw numbers, they counted on average 20 but-
terflies. terflies in habitat-enhanced vineyards compared
to five in conventional areas.
Over the years, loss in natural habitat has seen
the decline in numbers of around 50 species A Fluttery Side Effect
of butterflies in eastern Washington. But in a
recent Washington State University study pub- David James, an associate professor in WSU’s
lished in the June issue of the Journal of Insect Department of Entomology, wrote the paper with
Conservation, researchers found that vineyards colleagues. He said butterfly increase was not
that create nearby natural habitats have three the goal of the return of natural habitats. Instead,
times the number of butterfly species and four growers want to reduce pesticide usage.
times more butterflies than conventional vine-
yards. To help control pests, they plant native sage-

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