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In addition, an increase of cool, wet springs and summers in Canada and the United States may also reduce Monarch population growth rates. More frequent storms may decrease the forest habitat in Mexico. Climate changeĬhanging weather due to climate change can have negative effects on the Monarch. Mexico is working hard to reduce the level of destruction in order to conserve the Monarch. This habitat has also been fragmented and destroyed by agriculture, fire, logging, and forest thinning. This small area is vulnerable to extreme weather events, fire, diseases, and predation.
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Over the winter, most Monarchs live in only a few hectares of the Oyamel Fir forest in Central Mexico. The following factors play a role in the rapid decline of this species: Degradation of overwintering habitat North American Monarch butterfly populations have declined dramatically in recent years, causing concern for the survival of the species. In classrooms all over North America, it is used as an example to teach children about biology, metamorphosis, conservation and an appreciation for nature. It is part of a shared natural heritage between Canada, the US, and Mexico. The Monarch is an international symbol of conservation and nature. Without pollinators, many crops and wild flowers would not exist. This fertilizes the plants so they can produce seeds and fruit. Along with many other insects, it is a pollinator, helping to transfer pollen from one flowering plant to another. The absence or presence of Monarchs can tell us a lot about changing environmental conditions. In some cases, it is the great-great-grandchildren of the Monarchs from the previous summer that are arriving in Canada.
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This means that the Monarchs leaving Canada in the fall are not the same Monarchs that return in the spring. In the spring, when the Monarch migrates back to Canada, the migration is multi-generational. The Monarch population in southern British Columbia migrates to coastal California. Since they cannot survive the cold winters of Canada, they fly to the Oyamel Fir Forests of Central Mexico where they will live for about six months. This fall migration is an incredible phenomenon. Each fall, Monarch butterflies from Canada travel approximately 4,000 kilometers to Mexico. Unlike most butterflies, the Monarch migrates. The larvae and caterpillar feed solely on the milkweed plant, which is the only plant on which Monarchs successfully lay their eggs. It transforms into a large, showy butterfly with orange and black wings, bordered with white spots. There is also a small population of Monarchs in southern British Columbia.Īs a caterpillar, the Monarch is distinctively white, yellow, and black-banded. In Canada, it ranges from Alberta to Newfoundland, with extensive breeding in southern Ontario and southern Quebec. The Monarch is one of the best-known species of butterfly in the world.