[Pollinator] The Butterfly Effect: Conservation Helps Rare Butterfly

[Matthew Shepherd]

From: NRCS

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=STELPRDB1256212


The Butterfly Effect: Conservation Helps Rare Butterfly

*By Elisa O’Halloran*

Every year, millions of tourists fly from central Mexico into the United
States, first stopping in the deep American South and then continuing
northward even into parts of southern Canada. How all of this is done
without passports, customs agents or airplanes?

This is the annual journey made by monarch butterflies, one of the
best-known and most beloved butterflies in North America.

The fact that the annual migration of these distinctive black and orange
butterflies spans three countries and thousands of miles makes it an
important and prolific pollinator over this large area.

At the end of the summer, the butterflies begin their return travels in
Canada and the northern United States and can travel as much as 50 miles a
day on their southward trek toward Mexico.

But this majestic butterfly is coming under increasing threat for many
reasons, including the decline of resting areas the butterflies use,
commonly called “way stations,” during their long pilgrimage across the
United States.

The monarch butterfly population is in danger because they cannot survive
without milkweed. Monarch caterpillars eat the plants and butterflies lay
their eggs in the milkweed.

Scientists estimate that 33 million monarchs remain, -- more than a 90
percent drop across North America.

The loss of the milkweed plants contributes to the reduced number of
monarchs recorded in California and Mexico. Additionally, more development,
agricultural intensity and mowing of roadsides also has caused the plants
to decline.

In order to help the monarch breeding habitat, conservationists recommend
planting native milkweed species.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is partnering with the Xerces
Society <http://www.xerces.org/>, a nonprofit organization, to work on a
three-year project with funds provided by a Conservation Innovation Grant
<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=stelprdb1242734>
to increase the availability of milkweed seed where it had not been
typically available for habitat restoration. To date, this project has
already produced over 35 million milkweed seeds.

NRCS agronomist David Dreesen from the Plant Material Center
<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/plantmaterials/home/> works
in Las Lunas, N.M. to grow several types of milkweed to see how they can
harvest the seed efficiently.

“We are evaluating three species to determine how well they will produce
seed in our climate and with our calcareous soils and alkaline irrigation
water,” Dreesen said. “In addition, we need to determine whether it is
economically feasible to grow milkweed seed.”

The successful partnership between NRCS and the Xerces Society has resulted
in the planting of more than 120,000 acres of habitat for monarchs and
other pollinators so far.

“Another big goal is to increase the availability of the native milkweed
seeds and make them less expensive to purchase,” said Brianna Borders,
plant ecologist at The Xerces Society. “NRCS is leading the effort to
provide conservation practices that can be used to improve pollinator
habitat.”

This week, NRCS is celebrating National Pollinator Week
<http://www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2014.htm> by highlighting the
many ways in which conservation benefits pollinators. In addition to
working with groups like Xerxes, NRCS also works with American farmers and
ranchers to voluntary make improvements to agricultural lands that have
many benefits, including helping pollinators.

To get started with NRCS, visit your local USDA Service Center
<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=nrcsdev11_000242>or
www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted
<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=stelprdb1193811>
.

Learn more about Insects and Pollinators
<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate>
.
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