[Leps-l] [leps-talk] Monarch Armageddon

Paul Cherubini monarch at saber.net
Wed Feb 13 01:50:55 EST 2013


On Feb 12, 2013, at 10:01 PM, Roger Kuhlman wrote:

> Winter roosting locations of Eastern Monarchs are very
> constrained in numbers and locations. These conditions
> put them at a significant risk of extinction.

The eastern monarchs have multiple mountain ranges
in Mexico covered with thousands upon thousands of 
acres of forest and the butterflies occupy mere pinpoints 
amounts of land within those forests (e.g. 1-5 acres). 

So even if those forests were someday heavily logged or 
urbanized the butterflies would still be able to find plenty
of cluster trees.

Look at the situation in California:  In very heavily urbanized
areas the monarchs still find overwintering trees on golf 
courses and in city parks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEhT3Q6b5yE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwfnWscesIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOk2eo3WG_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMVQJf6JKOU

One overwinter grove in California that sometimes has 
the largest number of monarchs has a busy road
and railroad line running right through it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdh8FvFfI0I

> Also I think you know that modern farming practices and
> suburbanization have greatly reduced the numbers of
> milkweeds in both eastern and western US. Fewer
> milkweeds means fewer Monarchs.

But the milkweeds and monarchs still number in the
millions. So how could it be conceivable that the migratory
monarch could go extinct when both the number of
butterflies and the number of it's larval host plants
still number in the millions and will for the forseeable
future?

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.


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