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Got Milkweed?

Mexican conservation policy to protect butterflies from illegal logging

By Sherleen H. Mahoney October 1, 2007

Butterflies are a touch of unexpected beauty in the hair-raising world of insects. With its classic orange-and-black pattern showcased on their large, delicate wings, the monarch butterfly is one of the most beloved and recognizable butterflies. Aside from beauty, their most amazing feature is their migration. Without any previous guidance, every autumn, generations of these intrepid insects instinctively journey from North America to central Mexico. In the spring, along their journey back north, females lay their eggs on milkweed plants, the only source of food for their offspring, and die. A new generation continues the trip up north. Often, it takes three or four generations to complete the journey.

Illegal deforestation poses the greatest threat to the monarchs, and conserving their hibernation oyamel fir forests is critical for their survival. These overwinter sites are threatened by illegal logging carried out by their private landowners, the ejidos. These sites were decreed as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in 1986, though that did little to stop the illegal deforestation. Thirty years ago, aerial photographs show the oyamel forest spanning 2,000 square miles. Today, the largest tract measures 20 square miles. In March, Lincoln P. Brower, research professor and monarch expert at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, V.A., observed firsthand a massive illegal logging operation in the southern part in the sanctuary. “If the pattern continues, it’s a disaster,” Brower told Environmental Protection.

In February, Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced the launch of an ambitious, five-year conservation plan to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against illegal logging in the protected areas. The initiative includes planting 10 million trees in the butterfly reserve, with a goal of planting 250 million trees across Mexico in 2007.

Though monarch butterflies may never make it on the U.S. endangered species list, what is endangered is their unique and fascinating migration phenomenon. During peak migration seasons, thousands can be observed fluttering in the sky, landing briefly to refuel on nectar from flowers. Researchers are fascinated by how these fragile yet tenacious creatures are capable of such long trips, between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more, traveling up to 80 miles in a day. Even more astonishing, though the migrating generation is separated by up to four generations, they know to return to the same forests, and in many cases, even the same trees. “The loss of this biological phenomenon would be a tragedy comparable to losing some of our great artistic masterpieces,” said Brower.

Simple, individual efforts can make a difference—adopt a butterfly on the World Wildlife Fund Web site or plant a small garden of milkweed in a backyard. Groups like Monarch Watch and Live Monarch offer free milkweed seeds. Monarchs are very resourceful. They can seek out the smallest collection of milkweed and will breed readily on the flowers. It is important to remember that collective advancements, no matter how small, can produce significant results, also known as The Butterfly Effect. For more information, visit www.worldwildlife.org/monarchs.

About the author

Sherleen H. Mahoney
Sherleen H. Mahoney is the associate editor of Environmental Protection. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Stony Brook University in New York. She can be contacted at (972) 687-6784