Saving the monarch butterfly

[AnonYMouse]

Originally Posted by Ordphien

Hmm... I wonder if I'm in their natural range.
I'm in a fairly urban area though that's extremely fond of pesticides.
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You are probably in their path (I can't remember which direction, North or South). There is a grove of trees in Santa Cruz where they congregate for a few days a year.

I'm a recovering entomophobiac so I won't go see them. I've been told you can't avoid them on those days. I used to see them growing up but its rare now in suburbia.

[Leafmite]

I know what you mean about genetically modified food. The round-up corn...ugh. I am against that completely.
However, if you think about it, all food, through careful breeding over many centuries, has been modified to a certain extent. And, to feed our world's growing population, now we need to make food crops produce reliably, despite drought or flooding, as well as to yield greater quantities. Unfortunately, the work that would normally take centuries to do must be done rather more quickly so genetic engineering is beginning to become a popular option for growing in third-world countries. In the US, GMO is less popular and so much of the food you find in your grocery store is still created the old fashioned way.

[Pilot]

Orchids fill no major role in Eco systems. Yet we save them.


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[vjo]

I personally think that almost every living thing has a purpose on this earth. Maybe we don't even know what all they do, but lets say they are the only polinator for a particular plant and they figure out that particular plant will cure a particular type of cancer. I just think that since we will never know all there is to know about these things we should probably keep them around.
I have said for years that the only animals that the earth could probably live without is people and fleas....lol...Jean

[Pilot]

Sorry I was just making the point that you also made but you made it much more eloquently. I too believe things are worth saving because they are important because they exist. Plain and simple as that!

The greater issue here, however, is that insects of any kind and other creatures like frogs are indicators. The sudden collapse of a group tells us that something terrible is happening. What that is we may not know but in this case it seems pretty clear. Monsanto et al...


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[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I know what you mean about genetically modified food. The round-up corn...ugh. I am against that completely.
However, if you think about it, all food, through careful breeding over many centuries, has been modified to a certain extent. And, to feed our world's growing population, now we need to make food crops produce reliably, despite drought or flooding, as well as to yield greater quantities. Unfortunately, the work that would normally take centuries to do must be done rather more quickly so genetic engineering is beginning to become a popular option for growing in third-world countries. In the US, GMO is less popular and so much of the food you find in your grocery store is still created the old fashioned way.

The kind of modification you mentioned is via hybridization, which is the use of genetic materials already present naturally within certain groups of plants that interbreed.

GMO often involves insertion of genes from a totally different organisms. The effect of the final "product" on the environment is not considered nor studied. They just make stuff up and put patent on it and make money. What happens next is not really up on their mind really.
They do short term studies, which I doubt is fair and unbiased, to make them look more appealing.

Did you know USA is the main consumer of GMO product? I am shocked to hear what you were saying!
USA is also the biggest GMO producer. all money and corrupt politics forced on its own people and people in poor countries who do not much options.

EUs and many developed countries in Asia have strict regulations and do not accept US made GMO crap.

Even a country like Phillippines, there was a well known protest where a group of angry locals destroyed the entire plot where GMO crops were being cultivated.

Feeding the growing population is a big problem, but I think it is rather complex matter.
also, food shortage is not what we really think. Certain places like USA produce lots, but food is also big money and political tool against poor countries. There was a time when US dumped tons of grains into the pacifics instead of giving it away.

I still believe shortage has many sides but unequal distribution is also a big part of it. again, money and politics.

---------- Post added at 12:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:35 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Pilot

Sorry I was just making the point that you also made but you made it much more eloquently. I too believe things are worth saving because they are important because they exist. Plain and simple as that!

The greater issue here, however, is that insects of any kind and other creatures like frogs are indicators. The sudden collapse of a group tells us that something terrible is happening. What that is we may not know but in this case it seems pretty clear. Monsanto et al...


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I agree with you and I respect all living things, ugly and pretty.

I was just curious about the specifics of this particular insect in discussion.

It's funny, I just finished writing one comment and there I see your post ending with that evil name.

[Kyle]

I don't like GMOs, but I do like Monarch butterflies.

Round up ready crops (corn) were, at the earliest stages, developed through selective breeding. The same way vegetable and other food crops were developed. The same way we get pink phalenopsis. One plant naturally showed up in a population and we pounce on it.

Monarchs problems stem from habitat loss. First we tilled under the prairies, including the species of milkweed they need. However, milkweed is tough. It survives in ditches and farmers field. We still fought against it, as it is classified as noxious weed in many areas. Why? Because cows won't eat it or hay with it. Only saskachewan has removed all milkweed species from their noxious weed list. Homeowners planting native milkweeds will really help.

Where do the GOMs fit in? We're using more round up, and it's killing the milkweed. It's becoming difficult for monarchs the complete thier life cycle. Why should we care? Well, they are pollinators, but not reall significant pollinators... What they are is a very charasmatic species with an amazing life cycle and story. Children love them and they, along with other butterflies are useful for getting children to understand relationships that go on in ecosystems. Most importantly, they are an indicator species of the status and health of the ecosystem. All thier problems are man made. Thier decline since the nineties is pretty drastic, and noticeable in my area in the last three seasons. What have we done?




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[ronaldhanko]

I've seen the same info on the monarchs and it is disturbing.

[Laserbeak]

Originally Posted by AnonYMouse

You are probably in their path (I can't remember which direction, North or South). There is a grove of trees in Santa Cruz where they congregate for a few days a year.

I'm a recovering entomophobiac so I won't go see them. I've been told you can't avoid them on those days. I used to see them growing up but its rare now in suburbia.

California no doubt gets some strays (some strays have even been found in the British Isles!), but their main range is the Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada as well as a very small wintering place in northern Mexico where all of them congregate for the winter. Then, over several generations, they make their way north through the great plains into Canada, then as fall comes, the last generation flies all the way back to Mexico by themselves to winter.

Quite a fascinating little creature.

edit:

Oops I should have double checked before I started blabbering, apparently there is a subpopulation of them that have a different migration pattern that do live in California and the West Coast, still what I said is true for most Monarchs.

[Ordphien]

Cool! Maybe I can squeeze some milkweed somewhere.
I try really hard to attract bees and butterflies. And spiders and every other bug lol.
I find them really interesting to watch.

On a note about the monarch.
I saw 5 of them today. So they are in my area.

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