Monarch Butterfly Research Paper

Meosha Robinson ISBL 10/22/2015 Monarch Butterfly Decline The monarch butterfly, scientifically referred to as danaus plexippus, is an extremely popular insect among North America.This insect is highly popular, not because it is beneficial to human existence but because it has the most distinctive migration pattern on top of its physical attributes that catch the human eye. The monarch butterfly has been recorded to travel over 2000 miles in order to get to their summer breeding ground (Oberhauser, 2004). Despite other butterflies, the Monarch is not able to sustain during winter seasons so it migrates south toward Mexico, like a bird. The Monarch butterfly is ecologically important, for one reason being pollination control. The Monarch butterfly can be found in all parts of the United States. The Monarch butterfly is on a major decline for a number of reasons but three being examined are, deforestation in their breeding grounds. The second causation being longer and colder winter seasons, and lastly being a decline in the production of

Milkweed can be seen as an infestation and in need of being reduced and controlled. In an attempt to control the growth of the milkweed plant a herbicide was implemented. This herbicide worked but not as effectively as it could have without destroying other crops. This caused the creation of GMO glysophate tolerant, this creation showed up in soy beans in 1996 and was practiced at at a rate of 94% by the year 2011. Along side soybeans was glysophate corn which hit the scene in 98 and was practiced at a rate of 74% by the year 2011 (Pleasants, 2012). This increased herbicide leads the probability of the same reasoning being behind the decline of the milkweed. This is important because without the present of milkweed, monarch larvae survival rates would plummet, thus contributing to the monarch butterfly