Numbers dropping off???

Michael Gochfeld gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Wed Jun 9 06:30:51 EDT 1999


I am puzzled by the following phrase: "... but there does not seem to be 
a significant effect on most butterfly populations....."

How in the world do we know that.  There are virtually no studies of 
butterfly populations or population dynamics to my knowledge. 

I agree that habitat destruction (and perhaps global climate) are bigger 
factors, but in an environment already degraded and diminishing rapidly, 
what might have been "sustainable exploitation" could easily become 
"fatal overexploitation".   

So I don't think we know enough to exonerate commercial collecting."

M Gochfeld


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