Monarchs and Monoculture in southern Michigan

[Roger Kuhlman]

The main point of what I had to say was that where agricultural monocultures 
existed in southeast Michigan presumingly developed with the most advanced 
technological means there were no milkweeds and no Monarchs except perhaps a 
fly-by Monarch now and then. From that observation I think it is reasonable 
to infer that the Summer Monarch population in our area would face great 
difficulties if all agricultural lands adopted these practices.

Roger Kuhlman

>>Paul Cherubini selectively editied:
>Roger Kuhlman wrote:
>
> > I would bet modern, high-tech agricultural
> > practices have been greatly limiting the amount of Common milkweed 
>growing
> > in our area. 30 to 50 years ago there was probably much more milkweed 
>here
> > and many more Monarchs.
>
>My point is that even in spite of modern agricultural practices,
>Monarchs remain spectacularly abundant in precisely the areas
>with the most intensive plantings of Bt corn and Roundup Ready
>soybeans;  areas such as southern Minnesota and northern Iowa:
>
>http://www.saber.net/~monarch/gaylrb.jpg
>http://www.saber.net/~monarch/rf.jpg
>http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mastertech/olivia.jpg
>http://www.saber.net/~monarch/gaylra.jpg
>
>And the monarch overwintering populations in Mexico have shown
>no pattern of decline the past 28 years despite the changes in
>agricultural practices:
>
>http://www.saber.net/~monarch/mexpops.JPG
>
>Unfortunately, the news media isn't being told that Monarchs and
>Painted Ladies are still spectacularly abundant in the areas
>with the most intensive plantings of genetically modified crops.
>
>Instead, here's what reporters are reading on the internet:
>
>http://www.monarchwatch.org/ws/index.html
>"Widespread adoption of herbicide-resistant corn and soybeans
>in the last 5 years has resulted in the loss of at least 80 million
>acres of monarch habitat...without a major effort to restore
>milkweeds to as many locations as possible, the monarch
>population is certain to decline to extremely low levels."
>
>Paul Cherubini
>El Dorado, Calif.
>
>
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