Monarchs: Eucalyptus globulus introductions versus preserving naturalcommunities

[Patrick Foley]

For more information on the problems with introducing Eucalyptus globulus, see Bossard, C., J. M.
Randall, M. C. Hoshovsky 2000, Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands, UCPress, Berkeley.

On page 185 of this you may read:

"Understory establishment is inhibited by the production of allelopathic chemicals and by the
physical barrier formed by high volumes of forest debris consisting of bark strip, limbs, and
branches. The fuel complex formed by this debris is extremely flammable, and under severe weather
conditions could produce drifting burning material with the potential to ignite numerous spot fires.
Because stringy bark is carried away while burning, eucalyptus forests are considered the worst in
the world for spreading spot fires. The Oakland hills firestorm was both intense and difficult to
control because of the many stands of eucalyptus."

It is true that several natural California communities are fire prone (chaparral for example). It is
also true that exotic grasses plague many California ecosystems (because they are weedy
Mediterranean annuals with little ability to hold the soil, provide a matrix for native
wildflowers, or provide shelter for rodents).

The solution is not to bring in more problems. The solution is to preserve and restore habitat. I
doubt that Thomas Jefferson (and the other founding fathers) would have enjoyed the government
expenditures involved. But he did tend to keep up with things, and was willing to do the right thing
(buying Lousiana or punishing Tripoli) even if it cost public money.

Patrick Foley


Paul Cherubini wrote:

> Pat Foley wrote:
>
> > Planting large numbers of Blue Gum Eucalyptus on what
> > might be oak woodland, or some other natural California
> > community in order to help one Australian species
> > invade shows the kind of singleminded, unecological,
> > nonevolutionary thinking we enjoy so much on this list.
>
> I agree and suggest planting little 5 acre blue gum
> eucalyptus groves on existing government owned treeless
> land (which itself is dominated by exotic grasses) to create
> large monarch overwintering sites. Two examples of where
> this could be done are at the Port Hueneme Naval Base in
> Port Hueneme, CA. and the Alameda Naval Base in Alameda,
> Calif.
>
> But like I said, before, monarch conservationists shun such simple
> and cheap $500 conservation solutions in favor of $300,000,000
> expenditures like the proposed Butterfly Palace.
>
> Below are two university monarch scientists that support the
> Butterfly Palace:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.butterflypalace.org/page13.htm
> Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, California 5 April 1999
> Biological Sciences Department
>
> Ms. Sheila Boone, President
> Butterfly Palace
> San Luis Obispo, CA
>
> Dear Sheila,
>
> It should be emphasized the the long distance migration
> and winter aggregation of monarch butterflies are
> considered endangered phenomena being lost due to urban
> development, grove senescence and in California, diseases
> such as the pitch pine canker, caused by Fusarium
> subglutinans and the Australian eucalyptus insect borer,
> Phoracanter semipunctata. It is imperative, therefore, to
> preserve these phenomena by purchasing critical
> overwintering sites and by managing these sites to favor
> winter aggregations of monarch butterflies. The mass
> aggregation of monarch butterflies is a natural treasure
> found only in California and in Mexico.
>
> I believe that Ms. Boone pursuit to preserve this natural
> endangered phenomenon is a noble and worthy cause.
> Future generations of Californians would be thankful if your
> company supported her cause by providing the financial
> support for the purchase and the management of Cayucos
> site. Speaking for myself, I would be eternally grateful.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Kingston L. H. Leong, Ph.D.
> Biological Sciences
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.butterflypalace.org/page18.htm
>
> 25 October 1999
>
> Ms. Sheila Boone, President
> Butterfly Palace
> San Luis Obispo, CA
>
> Dear Sheila,
>
> You have my hearty endorsement in promoting the conservation of the
> monarch butterfly overwintering sites in California which are so besieged by
> real estate development up and down the coast.
>
> This is an imperative for two reasons: first there is a very high probability
> that we will lose the overwintering sites in Mexico due to uncontrollable
> deforestation which will spell the demise of the migration east of the
> Rocky Mountains, thus leaving California as sole guardian the North American
> migration. Secondly, how can we as First World Americans urge the
> Mexican Government and people to protect their overwintering colonies
> if we do not protect ours?
>
> As I have pointed out elsewhere, the migration and overwintering behavior
> of the monarch butterfly is an endangered biological phenomenon. It will
> take a concerted effort to protect this fragile and beautiful manifestation of
> the natural world.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Lincoln Pierson Brower, Ph.D.
> Research Professor of Biology at Sweet Briar College
> Distinguished Service Professor of Zoology, Emeritus at the University of Florida 
>
>
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