environmental enhancement again

Paul Cherubini monarch at saber.net
Wed Jan 16 02:27:46 EST 2002


Norbert wrote.

> A clear case of horrendous damage has been well documented
> in Europe. The issue is the butterflies that depend on
> early seral habitats and which then have become endangered
> because the previous 'disturbing'/habitat maintaining practices 
> ceased or the habitat became protected. This has created a 
> number of endangered species that need not have gone that way.

We have had cases like that here in California. Example: The Bay 
Checkerspot Butterfly:
http://www.enn.com/enn-news-archive/1999/12/121099/cowbutter_8027.asp
"In the late 1980s, Weiss noticed that areas fenced off from 
grazing near San Francisco had ceased to be butterfly habitat. His 
resulting study documented the near extinction of the bay checkerspot
butterfly in grasslands following the removal of grazing."

Below are a few examples of how humans inadvertently create
butterfly habitats and may even end up celebrating such habitats:

About 20-30 years ago non-native eucalyptus and pine trees were 
planted in a cemetery in the city of San Luis Obispo, Calif. (central 
Calif. coast) and monarch butterflies now use them as an overwintering
cluster site (photos taken Jan. 14, 2002): 
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/cemetery1.JPG
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/cemetary2.jpg

Twelve miles south of San Luis Obispo, the town of Pismo Beach
publicly advertises it's monarch overwintering site ((Jan. 14, 2002)
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/pismo.JPG

This site also involves a stand of planted non-native eucalyptus,
pine and cypress trees.  In this photo, about 20,000
monarchs are tightly packed together in cypress Jan. 14, 2002
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/pismo2.JPG

Here is a close up view of the clusters on eucalyptus
at Pismo Beach Jan. 14, 2002
http://www.mindspring.com/~cherubini/pismo3.JPG

Paul Cherubini

 
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