Saving Monarchs for the 22nd Century
/Bring Back the Orange and Black Butterflies!
MONARCH ON PURPLE FLOWER (PHOTO BY STAN BALIK AT PIXABAY)
With a 100 million individuals migrating south each fall, one finds it hard to imagine that the treasured orange and black Monarch butterflies could be facing the threat of extinction.
In reality, however, Monarchs and their amazing annual migration are threatened.
Monarchs face the threat of habitat destruction - from roads, housing developments, and agricultural expansion which transform the natural landscape.
Monarch on YELLOW flower (photo by Heather Griesbach at Pixabay)
Monarchs are also vulnerable at their overwintering sites in Mexico. The eastern monarchs, including those that pass over Kansas, migrate only to mountains in Mexico, of which there are only eleven to fourteen known sites each year. Each site is a few hectares in size and contains millions of butterflies.
This combination - a high concentration of individuals in a only few small sites - makes the possibility of habitat destruction in Mexico very serious. This is particularly true because the oyamel trees, on which the monarchs cluster, are valuable lumber sources that many local people depend upon for income.
Logging not only removes roost trees, but also opens up the forest canopy – letting in snow and rain which leaves the roosting monarchs vulnerable to freezing. A single snowstorm in 1995 killed 5 to 7 million monarchs alone at their overwintering site.
But the threats to monarchs are not all faraway. Milkweed - once common in Kansas pastures - is a vital plant for monarchs. It is the only plant that Monarch larvae will feed on. Many of our native milkweed patches have been lost, and with it the only source of nutrition for young monarch larvae.
A number of options for Monarch conservation are underway. In Mexico, conservation organizations are looking at ways to conserve overwintering sites while also providing financial security to local populations. And here in Kansas, we can help monarchs by planting more milkweed. The Monarch Watch organization in Lawrence provides excellent resources to promote conservation of this treasured butterfly.
cLUSTER OF mONARCHS mATING (PHOTO BY “SKEEZE” AT PIXABAY)
This article was adapted from the call to action by the Monarch Watch in Lawrence, found at www.monarchwatch.org, and a longer form of the article appeared in the latest edition of Keynotes (First Quarter 2020). Please stay tuned to this website for an additional upcoming excerpt on milkweed and how to plant your own Monarch Station. Photos of the monarch butterflies are courtesy of Pixabay.com. Please contact us to receive your own copy of Keynotes.
