Government views Monarch Butterfly Releases as a threat to We stern Milkweeds

Paul Cherubini monarch at saber.net
Fri Dec 7 15:43:28 EST 2001


James Kruse wrote:

> Soon we will all starve when farmers can no longer plow fields
> with milkweed interspersed with the crops - hey, now there's an answer to
> the overpopulation problem!

Well actually Dr. O.R. (Chip) Taylor who yesturday urged that new 
research studies are needed to determine whether or not 
monarch caterpillars constitute a threat to long lived perennial milkweeds also
recently stated*:

"It is not known whether or not herbicide use on herbicide resistant
crops [e.g. corn & soybeans] will harm milkweed populations. 
Long term studies of milkweed survival in fields planted with herbicide
resistant varieties are greatly needed"

So we have a curious paradox here.  On the one hand researchers are saying
we need new studies to determine whether or not monarch caterpillars
are a threat to the survival of some milkweeds. And on the other hand the 
same researchers saying new  studies are needed to determine whether
or not herbicide use in herbicide resistant crops could reduce the
availability of milkweed for monarch caterpillars. 

Paul Cherubini

*Monarch Watch 2000 Season Summary, page 8
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/soybean.jpg

 
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