Preventing the Death of the Monarch Butterfly (James Wise)

Monday, February 9th 2015, marks the day the Obama administration and conservation groups begin to stop the destruction of the monarch butterfly.  Over the past 20 years, the monarch butterfly population has dropped by 90%.  The dramatic drop in numbers has been caused by changes in farming habits.  These farming habits have removed large portions of milkweed plants from the monarch butterfly's migration routes.

Last winter, only 50 million butterflies made it to Mexico, a dramatic drop from their estimated population of 1 billion.  Dan Ashe, director of US Fish and Wildlife Service, has put forward $2 million dollars and has formed partnerships with the National Wildlife Federation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in order to promote the growth of the monarch butterfly.  The USFWS plans to restore the monarch butterfly's number by growing milkweed and other butterfly-friendly plants along migration routes from Minnesota to Mexico.  This effort will restore more than 200,000 acres of habitat.  Tierra Curry of the Centre of Biological Diversity believes the restoration efforts will not only help the monarch butterfly but also help future habitat renewal efforts.  She is quoted stating, "If the monarch does get protected that will open up a lot more funding to protect habitat."

The destruction of the monarch butterfly population is a product of the ever-growing human population.  As we have discussed in our "Principles of Ecology" class, the single most important influence on environmental change is the human population and its rapid rate of growth.  While this problem is not being solved by the USFWS, they are promoting sustainability.  They are working to protect an intricate part of the ecosystem.  The monarch butterfly pollinates plants and is an important part of the food web.  By attempting to repairing the damage caused by unsustainable farming, the USFWS is ensuring a sustainable future for both the monarch butterfly and the environment.

I believe this topic to be very important.  The extinction of such an important species would do significant damage to the ecosystems it thrives in.  I am very happy to see that the monarch butterfly is not the only target of this action.  Habitat restoration is crucial to the success of the monarch butterfly and will also help other species of plants and animals to flourish in areas that were not accessible.  Hopefully this plan will not only revive the monarch butterfly population but greatly increase the biodiversity in areas where the habitats are restored.

Works Cited:

Goldenberg, Suzanne. "US Launches Plan to Halt Decline of Monarch Butterfly." The Guardian. The Guardian, 9 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/09/us-launches-plan-to-halt-decline-of-monarch-butterfly>.

Picture:

http://i.guim.co.uk/static/w-1430/h--/q-95/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/2/9/1423489546177/7eca4b59-a116-4c50-a3e6-229337a40a90-2060x1236.jpeg