CONSERVATION
Overwintering monarchs have always been vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather. A deep freeze can kill them by the hundreds of millions, leaving piles of dead monarchs sometimes two or three feet deep. The forested microclimate of the overwintering grounds used to provide a buffer against the worst weather. But in recent decades, farming and illegal logging have stripped much of the area bare. In the thinning forest, the colonies have become more susceptible to extreme weather. Extreme weather this winter brought monarch colony size to a record low.
Above: Forest degradation in the monarchs’ overwintering areas. Overwintering groves are indicated in red; healthy forests in green; degraded forests in yellow; deforested areas in gray.
Without suitable overwintering grounds and way stations, the monarch butterfly’s spectacular yearly migration cannot persist. Organizations, individuals, and government agencies from Mexico, the United States and Canada are cooperating on a number of projects that aim to curb deforestation and protect monarch habits and habitats across the continent. The following websites provide further information:
US Department of the Interior & USDA Forest Service
La Cruz Habitat Protection Project
Monarch Migration Association of North America
North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation