Proposal
In contemporary ecological discourse, biodiversity conservation and restoration emerge as paramount endeavors, propelled by the escalating global declines in insect populations and the pervasive degradation of natural habitats. Within this context, the proposed project seeks to harness the potential of information visualization techniques to glean nuanced insights into species-location dynamics (Pan et al., 2022), with a focal lens on butterflies and their intricate habitats. This endeavor transcends mere academic inquiry, embodying profound implications for not only comprehending ecological patterns but also catalyzing informed conservation efforts amidst the relentless tide of rapid urbanization and habitat loss. The exploration of butterfly diversity within distinct habitats serves as a beacon of enlightenment, offering invaluable glimpses into the resilience and well-being of ecosystems. Recent scholarship illuminates the disparities in diversity among butterfly families, underscoring the imperative of elucidating species distributions and ecological interplays. Moreover, the ubiquity of butterflies within urban green spaces underscores the pivotal role of such environments in harboring biodiversity amid the relentless encroachments of urban sprawl.
The genesis of this project stems from an earnest recognition of the imperatives dictated by contemporary environmental challenges, chiefly urbanization and habitat degradation, which imperil biodiversity on an unprecedented scale. As urban expansion burgeons, siphoning off habitats and fracturing ecological niches, innovative approaches to conservation and restoration emerge as imperatives of the highest order. Grounded in an acute awareness of these exigencies, this project converges its focus on butterfly diversity and habitat dynamics (Lourenço et al., 2020), aspiring to carve a tangible niche within the broader milieu of urban biodiversity preservation. The empirical landscape, as delineated by recent studies, underscores the pivotal role of habitat restoration in agrarian landscapes as a bulwark against the precipitous decline of insect populations and pollination services. The advent of solar-pollinator habitats emerges as a beacon of hope, offering a symbiotic conduit to augment biodiversity while concurrently addressing energy needs. Moreover, investigations into the evolution of oyster reefs proffer compelling testimony to the transformative potential of habitat restoration in amplifying biodiversity and ecosystem services.
In its empirical quest, the project is poised to leverage diverse datasets encompassing butterfly diversity, habitat characteristics, and urban green spaces. Comprising a mosaic of field observations, ecological surveys, and remote sensing data, these datasets represent the linchpin for deciphering species-location dynamics and unraveling latent patterns that undergird conservation and restoration strategies. Amidst the myriad of tasks and questions that punctuate its trajectory, the project remains steadfast in its pursuit of elucidating species-location dynamics and furnishing the intellectual substrate for informed conservation and restoration efforts in urban milieus. From unraveling the spatial distributions of butterfly species within urban green spaces (Seynoure et al., 2023) to deciphering the intricate nexus between habitat characteristics and butterfly diversity, each task converges to bolster the overarching objective of fortifying our understanding of biodiversity conservation and restoration.