Photos of urban monarch overwintering sites in California
Paul Cherubini
cherubini at mindspring.com
Fri Jan 12 13:35:21 EST 2001
> Seems obvious that the Monarch is a weed species, low on the
> successional chain. The larvae feed on weed species that appear on
> disturbed ground early in vegetational succession. It has an impressive
> history of colonization of a large part of the world's islands. It hardly
> seems in trouble as a species. Now the probability of historic seasonal
> clustering in the same places, forever, does seem threatened.
I agree except with your last sentence. The point of my posting
photos of urban monarch overwintering sites was to show monarchs
overwinter just 'fine' in clumps of planted, non-native trees in a
radically altered, urbanized landscape such as the San Francisco
Bay Area.
We all seem to agree the monarch and its larval host plants are weedy
opportunists and thrive in a landscape radically altered by human
activity.We can all agree, for example, that a vast summer population of
monarchs developes in the upper midwest USA (Iowa, Minnesota and
surrounding states) each summer despite the fact that 75% of this land
area is planted in a monoculture of corn and soybeans which is sprayed
with insecticides or herbicides.
But when the discussion turns to monarch overwintering sites suddenly
everyone is frozen to the concept that overwintering habitat is something
fragile and sacred. Or at least everyone seems to feel there
is no conceivably way monarchs overwintering in planted, non-native
trees in an urban setting (e.g.a golf course) could survive as well as
monarchs overwintering in a native, rural, undisturbed forest.
I used to be frozen to this concept too, until I began noticing
overwintering monarchs will nearly always "choose" to roost in
planted, non-native clumps of trees even when native undisturbed
forest stands are available for them to use just a few hundred feet away.
Also, I began noticing the size and stability of the planted, non-native
habitats was similar to the native, undisturbed habitats.
Further, I noticed the size and stability of monarch colonies situated
in a radically altered (logged) native forest was similar to colonies
situated in undisturbed, pristine forest.
Later, after my slides are scanned, I can post photos of these three
phenomena.
Finally, tagging studies revealed monarchs overwintering on urban
golf courses live as long as monarch overwintering in more rural
settings.
With regard to the charge that I am affiliated with the "wise use"
movement, the truth is I had never even heard of the wise use movement
until Neil brought it up. With regard to the charge that I am a poltical
activist, the embarrasing truth is I have not even voted since 1972.
Paul Cherubini, Placerville, Calif.
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