The monarch and its favorite plant, milkweed.
Reports on the outlook for the monarch butterfly population are mixed, but most researchers seem to agree that Mexico has successfully slowed if not halted the illegal cutting of trees in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
The number of monarchs that showed up in Mexico last year, after making their 4,000-kilometer journey from the United States or Canada, was down so much that there has been a movement to declare the species endangered.
Deforestation in Mexico has been identified as one cause for the reduced number of monarchs, but another is a severe decline in milkweed plants, considered a weed by farmers who apply pesticides to protect their soy and corn crops.
Trouble is, the monarch butterfly only lays its eggs on milkweed plants.
Last year’s migration to Mexico occupied only 0.67 hectares of forest, 44% less than the previous year and the smallest since 1993 when recording began. The highest recorded was in 1996-97 when 18.2 hectares were covered in millions of butterflies.
The World Wildlife Fund in Mexico puts the blame for lower numbers squarely on the United States. “Mexico has made it a priority to look after the monarch butterfly’s sanctuary,” says Omar Vidal, country director.
“It’s essential that the U.S. and Canada participate as well, but the reality is that we haven’t seen concrete actions on their part.”
However, north of the border not everyone is gloomy about the butterfly’s future, including prominent researcher Karen Oberhauser, whose studies determined that that the reduction in milkweed plants has had a direct effect on butterfly reproduction.
Last month the Monarch Lab at the University of Minnesota, where Oberhauser works, organized a festival to tag and release hundreds of monarchs in order to track their migration routes. More than 1,000 people attended, many of whom had raised the butterflies after lab staff gave away 300 eggs in preparation for the event.
The festival served as an opportunity to educate people about the monarch and how to preserve its habitat. “If everyone does what they can to make sure habitats are healthy, I think the future can look pretty rosy,” said Oberhauser, who has studied the monarch for 30 years.
Another researcher said planting milkweed and native nectar plants could also help the monarchs multiply.
The festival’s organizer, MaryLynn Pulscher, noted that last year’s migration was adversely affected by dry weather. Butterflies sync their migration with the seasons and if the weather doesn’t cooperate, they die, said Monarch Lab staff member Kelly Nail.
Weather will have its effects on monarch populations, but the bigger problem is habitat loss, she said.
Michael Rizo of the U.S. Forest Service was one of those who attended the festival. He said he’s seeing an increasing number of milkweed plants in Minnesota back yards.
Some back-yard plantings might not be considered concrete action, but it’s a start.
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