Urbanisation has reduced the abundance and diversity of many taxonomic
groups, and the effects may be more pronounced on islands, which have a
smaller regional species pool to compensate. Green spaces within urban
environments may help to safeguard wildlife assemblages, and the
associated habitat heterogeneity can even increase species diversity.
Here, total abundance and species diversity of butterflies, birds, and
vegetation at nine rural and nine urban locations were quantified on
Lipsi Island, Greece. Sites were assessed using Pollard walks for
butterflies, point-count surveys for birds, and quadrats for vegetation.
There was no significant difference in the abundance or species
diversity of butterflies or vegetation among rural and urban locations,
which could pertain to the low building density within urbanised areas
and the minimal extent of urbanisation on the island. However, urban
areas hosted a significantly greater abundance and richness of birds
compared to rural sites. The community composition of butterflies,
birds, and vegetation also differed significantly between urban and
rural locations, highlighting the impact of urbanisation on species
across a broad range of trophic groups. This study contributes to
ecological knowledge on the impacts of urbanisation across multiple
trophic levels in island ecosystems, with comparisons across a gradient
of island size and urbanisation intensity needed in future research.