Monarch Mexican Migration and land management

[Patrick Foley]

Paul,

So your theory about Monarch winter sites is that everything is cool in 
Mexico, and in California we should be planting more Eucalyptus, a 
highly flammable introduced tree.

Its hard to figure why your ideas are not embraced by the scientific 
community.

Wouldn't it be OK to spend just a little money on land preservation and 
scientific research? The cost here is pretty small compared to, for 
example, bailing out ENRON CEO's or spraying DDT over all the wetlands 
and waterways of the USA, a few of our oldies-but-goodies. And just 
possibly, the work that Brower's team is doing will reveal more about 
the oyamel fir forest than the assurances you make.

As a masters student at U Az years ago, I heard the Canadian ecologist 
E. C. Pielou give a talk on the biogeography of brown algae. One of the 
very junior faculty somewhat haughtily asked her why she thought this 
research was of any scientific interest.

Steadily, pointedly, she made her reply, "Some of us believe that much 
can be learned about the world by actually looking at it."

Patrick

Paul Cherubini wrote:

> Pat Foley wrote:
> 
> 
>>I am perfectly willing to give you credit for your observations and
>>insights about Monarch roosting behavior and the possibility that the
>>Brower group is overly committed to a simplistic model. But if your
>>alternative to the Brower model is to do nothing, to protect nothing,...
> 
> 
> Well, what needs to be done?  Like do we need to finance reforestation
> programs at the altitude where the monarchs overwinter? No, because
> there is practically no logging damage that needs to be repaired.
> 
> Do we need to finance reforestation programs below the altitude where
> the monarch overwinter?  Not generally, because low altitude forests are 
> not used by the butterflies as overwintering habitat.  However, the 
> monarchs commonly find drinking water on the cropland immediately
> below the sanctuaries http://www.saber.net/~monarch/kurt2.JPG  
> (obviously a benefit). In addition, nectar sources such as sunflowers
> commonly grow as weeds on this cropland 
> http://www.saber.net/~monarch/arriving2.jpg (photo lifted from
> Journey North website).
> 
> Do we need to finance reforestation programs to repair occassional forest 
> fire damage? No, because the forest regenerates on it's own.  
> 
> Is the human population in the monarch reserve area rising rapidly? 
> No, because as in rural areas of the USA, the young people tend to
> migrate to the larger cities to find better educational and employment
> opportunities.  
> 
> Do we need to finance studies about the "appropriate land management 
> policy for Monarch winter sites and learn more about the autecology
> of overwintering Monarchs?"  No, because current and past land use
> use practices have n proved to be compatible with monarch overwintering.  
> 
> Paul Cherubini
> 
>  
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