Climate Change And Its Effect On Monarch Butterflies

As a result of "human emissions of greenhouse gasses," numerous species of butterflies worldwide are facing the risk of extinction (World Wide Fund). Global warming is the gradual heating of the planet, which is triggered by human activities such as pollution from factories, results in climate change around the world (Rogers). Due to climate change, various species of butterflies need to adapt to these changes, but instead, they are dying out due to their sensitivity to fluctuating temperatures (Rogers). In the United Kingdom, scientists predict that “for every 1 °C increase in southwestern Europe’s temperature, some 14 different species of migratory butterflies and moths are forced to make the leap to England to cool off, which means making a long journey over open water” (Rogers). Climate change has required many species of butterflies to leave their migration paths and cross the treacherous oceans; this increases their risk of death

The eastern flutters of monarch butterflies are thought to be in danger, thanks to natural disasters in Mexico and there not being enough milkweed in their summer nesting grounds(National Geographic). Global warming and loss of habitat also effect the migratory patterns and the rainfall(National Wildlife Federation).  “In 1996, the Mexican government created the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to protect monarch’s wintering habitat(US Fish and Wildlife

Many consequences of climate change affects the population of pollinators, including increase in average temperatures, change in the schema of atmospheric precipitation and appearing as a result of climate change unpredictable and violent weather events (Greenpeace International, 2015). These changes will affect particular individuals, and ultimately the entire community, which ultimately may result in increased rate of mortality of each species of pollinating insects (UNEP, 2010).

Climate change can results in animals and plants migrating north to escape the heat but in many cases suitable habitats became scare or even unavailable farther away from the species natural habitat. “Shannon Pelini, a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame conducted experiments revealing that warmer increased the survival ship and shape of caterpillar and most northern habitats.”As if the direct effects of rising temperature weren’t enough, climate change also has impacts that could make climate patterns less consistent over time. “Michael Notaro a scientist at the University of Wisconsin Madison used climate data from the past century model vegetation changes over time.” He found that variability in climates cause an increasing number and and intensity of fire and droughts, as well as extreme weather events like ice ages and even heat

Climate change has affected us in many ways, but it was even more influential on organisms and their community. The Earth is gradually heating and we are left to deal with the consequences. Homes are being destroyed, organisms are dying, and resources are running low. Since 1880, Our Earth’s temperature had increased by about 0.8 degrees Celsius. Climate change is affecting the Earth and scientists say that one more degree will greatly affect people from all over the world. There are many consequences of climate change and each one has a great impact on all of us, but organisms’ homes are being destroyed and thousands of species are dying out. These organisms are imperative to our world and how it functions.

Throughout the years, butterflies were widely populated in North America ,but over the last 50 years more than 95% of the population has decreased. One of the common factors of the decline of the population is because of farming and poaching. In order to protect these butterflies, there are three possible solutions to preventing these actions are restricting of butterfly areas, serving time in jail, and organizations to prevent poaching and farming.

The monarch butterfly is something that we all have known and loved ever since we were children. During the present time, the monarch butterflies are becoming extinct. Due to human and natural activities, the monarchs population has been declining for two decades. Delaware and its citizens are taking action to save the monarchs from extinction. The monarch takes on a long migration from America and Canada to Mexico during the winter (vice versa). The monarch lives in three distinct population areas. People in Delaware are working hard to save an American icon.

The Monarch Butterfly is a beautiful butterfly, the wings are usually brown or orange sectioned with black lines on each wing. The Monarch Butterfly is outlined with polka dots at the ends of each wing, going up the middle, and around the outside. It really is a piece of art from nature. Sadly, their population is decreasing due to high temperatures. Imagine a life without such a beautiful creature. Delaware has taken an active role in protecting the Monarch butterfly by educating the public, examining the species, and restoring their habitats.

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/05/are-monarch-butterflies-really-being-massacred-a-new-study-says-its-a-lot-more-complicated-than-it-seems/) Monarch butterflies are one of the only two-way migratory species other than birds. Every spring, they embark on a 3,000 mile journey north from the mountains of Mexico and return in the fall. The migration can make it a little harder to accurately estimate population numbers; even so, the severity of the decline is no accounting slip-up.

The Monarch butterfly is a large orange and black butterfly that has been very well known throughout our lives, catching our eyes almost instantly. As children, many of us used to chase the creature around in our yards all spring and summer long. But, where do these Monarch butterflies disappear to when the climate changes and winter approaches, and what brings them back? The Monarch butterflies in North America undergo what is known as the longest insect migration in the world.

When people think of a monarch butterfly they think of a small creature with wings and antennae. But monarch butterflies are way more than that. They have beautiful colors, they go through metamorphosis to become the beautiful butterflies they are, and they travel across the country. This is why I believe monarch butterflies are amazing creatures.

Climate change may affect pollination by “disrupting the synchronized timing of flower blooming and the timing at which bees pollinate.” Because of global warming, the flowers are blooming earlier in the growing season, and by the time bees begin pollinating; there is a limited quantity of nectar available. (Bee Informed!: Climate Change)

When it is cold outside in the United States of America, monarch butterflies migrate to warmer places such as Mexico. This contributes to the decline of monarchs because in Mexico they are having deforestation problems. For example, there have been late winter storms causing over 100 acres of trees to fall down in Central Mexico (Deere, 2017). This causes a problem because monarch butterflies will have no place to live during the winter months in the United States of America. Researchers say that during the storm over 6.2 million butterflies have died (Deere, 2017). That is a lot of butterflies. This is a major problem because monarch butterflies are a food source for many animals and if they go extinct the food cycle will get messed up. This is a hard problem to fix to try to stop the decline of monarchs because you would have to get the monarchs to migrate to another place with lots of trees and that will not be destroyed.

Another problem that promotes the monarch butterflies extinction is logging in the 12 forested mountaintops in central Mexico. These are the most famous locations where the monarch butterflies travel for the fall, eve thought Canada and the eastern United States are the more popular habitats for the monarch butterflies. However, these trees in the fall are not an ideal environment for the butterflies. As seen by the Ikonos satellite, deforestation had been a common in the years between 2004 and 2008 in the Core Zone, even though it was made illegal by the Mexican government.

"We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words” (Anna Sewell). There is undeniable evidence that animals are being affected by climate change. Even though the effects are difficult to measure, there are many different ways animals are being affected. With the loss of predator and prey species it affects the life cycles in the food chain. The earth’s climate change causes habitats such as snow, ice, or forest areas to alter, resulting in loss of habitat and food accessibility as well as causing extinction.