[Pollinator] Monarch Numbers Up, But Still a Long Journey to Recovery

Fri Feb 26 13:32:16 PST 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:

*Scott Hoffman Black*, Executive Director, (503) 449-3792, sblack at xerces.org

*Sarina Jepsen*, Endangered Species Program Director, (971) 244-3727,
sarina at xerces.org

*Monarch Numbers Up, But Still a Long Journey to Recovery*

*Favorable weather boosts population but numbers remain relatively low*

PORTLAND, Ore., February 26, 2016 — The latest count of monarch butterflies
overwintering in Mexico found that the population which will migrate to the
United States rebounded again this year. Monarch numbers increased to 150
million from 42 million last year, according to data collected by the World
Wildlife Fund Mexico and announced today. Today’s numbers show a
substantial increase from the last two years (the two lowest years on
record) but are still far below a number that most scientists consider
sustainable. Scientists estimate the population size by counting the number
of hectares of trees covered by monarchs, and found that 4.0 hectares were
occupied this year. Researchers estimate that there are approximately 37.5
million monarchs per hectare.

The population was expected to be up this winter due to good spring and
summer weather conditions in the monarch’s U.S. and Canadian breeding
areas. Although the 150-million figure is very good news, the numbers of
monarchs are still well below the 22-year average and the 5-year target of
225 million monarchs (6 hectares) set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.

“This is great news and give us some breathing room as we work to recover
monarch numbers,” said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a conservation group leading
rescue efforts. “But there is still a long way to go to ensure that my
grandchildren will be able to see monarchs every summer.”

Monarch butterflies (*Danaus plexippus*) of North America are renowned for
their long-distance seasonal migration and spectacular winter gatherings in
Mexico and California. Most monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains migrate to
sites in the oyamel fir forests north of Mexico City to spend the winter.

Many monarchs west of the continental divide overwinter along the
California coast, and new research has demonstrated that some western
monarchs also go to Mexico to spend the winter. Populations of monarchs at
California overwintering sites saw a modest increase this year
<http://www.xerces.org/2016/02/04/assessment-of-western-monarch-butterfly-winter-population-completed/>.

The monarch butterfly population has recently declined to dangerously low
levels. In the 1990s, estimates of up to one billion monarchs made the epic
flight each fall from the northern plains of the U.S. and Canada to sites
in the oyamel fir forests north of Mexico City. By contrast this year’s
estimate of 150 million monarchs is still well below the high numbers in
the 1990s.

Because the weather conditions in much of the southern and Midwestern U.S.
for last two years were very good for monarchs, there is a concern that
this population size is the largest that the habitat can currently
support. Unfortunately, the loss of over 150 million acres of habitat to
corn and soy production may limit the number of monarchs that can be
produced on the habitat that remains. It is vital that we work to restore
habitat across the breeding range to grow the population to a level that
will not be impacted by winter storms. A single winter storm in 2002 killed
an estimated 500 million monarchs, more than three times the size of the
current population, even with this year’s boost.

Federal and state agencies and many nonprofit organizations are working to
protect and restore habitat for monarch butterflies. The Xerces Society has
been leading efforts to implement habitat projects in all landscapes
including farms, roadsides, wildlands and urban and suburban areas across
the US.

Many unresolved challenges exist to fully recovering this species. Much of
the monarch’s habitat is now dominated by corn and soybeans that are
genetically modified to allow large scale herbicide use which eliminates
milkweed the—monarchs only host plant. Additionally, highly toxic,
persistent insecticides like neonicotinoids are used everywhere and
milkweed is often mown or sprayed because people perceive it as a weed.
Logging at overwintering sites in Mexico also threatens monarchs.

“When you consider that in the mid-1990s the population reached nearly 700
million butterflies, this is still a pretty low number,” said Sarina
Jepsen, endangered species program director for the Xerces Society.
“Monarchs are still far from recovered. We will still need a focused effort
to address the many threats that monarchs face—from pesticide use and
habitat loss to climate change and disease.”

All people can help monarchs by planting native milkweed and other native
flowers and eliminating insecticide use.

###

*For More Information*

Read more about Xerces’ Monarch Conservation Campaign, including efforts to
conserve overwintering sites in California and restore breeding habitat in
key regions of the United States at http://www.xerces.org/monarchs/.

*The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation*

*Protecting the Life that Sustains Us*

The Xerces Society has the world’s largest pollinator conservation team,
with several staff currently working on monarch conservation. Efforts
include conservation and management of critical habitat across central and
western U.S., habitat restoration throughout the country, milkweed
production best practices, restoration of overwintering sites in
California, and engagement of citizens in monarch research and protection.
Our staff participates in the Federal Monarch Butterfly High Level Working
Group, the USGS Monarch Science Partnership, and co-chair the Monarch Joint
Venture. We collaborate with many federal and state agencies or contract
and work closely with university researchers and other NGOs to advance the
science and practice of monarch conservation.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org.

________

*Matthew Shepherd*

Communications Director

*[image: Xerces-logo-CMYK-email_Outlook]*

*Protecting the Life that Sustains Us*

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Tel: (503) 232-6639 ext. 110; Toll free: 1-855-232 6639 ext. 110; Cell:
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matthew.shepherd at xerces.org
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