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0. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Introduction
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1. Anurag Agrawal, Cornell University
The battle between monarchs, milkweed, and other critters
I have two main messages: 1) the monarch-milkweed interaction is, and has always been an antagonistic interaction - I'll discuss new insights from our research and the implications for citizen science. 2) the spice of life is diversity, and monarchs are but one morsel. Conserve all of milkweed's critters. No, conserve all the self-sustaining wildlands that support biodiversity and ecosystem services. Conserving monarchs is not the goal, they are royal representatives of the bigger picture.
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2. Patrick Anthony Guerra, University of Cincinnati
Migration in the City: the effects of urbanization on monarch butterfly migratory behavior
Monarch butterflies face many challenges during migration such as contemporary urbanization. Urbanization, along with altering the physical landscape that monarchs migrate through, produces types of sensory pollution that can interfere with migratory behavior. We recently showed that despite being a diurnal migrant, nighttime light pollution (in the form of light trespass) resulting from urbanization perturbs the migratory biology of fall monarchs. For example, monarchs are prematurely aroused at night and can display migratory flight behavior as if it were daytime when exposed to NLP. Here, NLP targets the circadian clock component of the monarch time-compensated sun compass, the predominant compass mechanism fall monarchs use for southwards migratory flight. In addition to further examining the negative impacts of NLP on monarch migration, we are also examining how urbanization might produce other types of sensory pollution that negatively impacts migratory flight behavior.
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3. John Pleasants, Iowa State University
What tagging can tell us about the factors affecting migration success
Based on wild-caught monarchs tagged from 2004-2015 and the percent of those tagged that are recovered in Mexico (migration success), the following patterns emerge: monarchs that are tagged farther from Mexico have poorer migration success; monarchs tagged along the Eastern flyway have lower success than those tagged along the Central flyway, controlling for distance; years when the population migration success is low are associated with low availability of nectar plants in the Texas region, high population levels of the parasitic disease, O. e., and late migrations. The migration success of reared butterflies is 50% that of wild-caught butterflies. Because of this, if eggs and larvae are brought in from the field and reared, their higher survivorship compared to those in the wild only compensates for poorer migration success for eggs and early instar larvae.
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3a. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Commentary and Speaker Introduction
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4. Kelsey Fisher, Iowa State University
Implications of Movement Ecology in Conservation Planning for Monarch Butterflies
As the monarch is a vagile species, habitat establishment at a grain that matches the monarch perceptual range will facilitate efficient movement, decrease fitness costs of dispersal, and increase oviposition. Radio-tagged or untagged monarchs were released in areas with high density, low density and zero density of forage and oviposition resources, as well as on habitat edges between high- and zero-density habitats to quantify space use and movement patterns including approximate perceptual range, flight directionality and flight step lengths. Monarchs were observed for 1 hr. Radio- tagged individuals that flew beyond visual detection were relocated using handheld radiotelemetry. Monarchs moved within and between habitat classes and typically performed upwind search behavior. Monarchs successfully located resources, with some flying over 500 m to find high-density areas, providing evidence that the monarch's perceptual distance is >100 m. Regardless of habitat class or field site, most step lengths were <50 m, and turn angles were directional. Large steps (≥50 m) crossing habitat boundaries occurred with approximately half of the monarchs, which may indicate initiation of long-range searches for suitable habitat, consistent with their vagile behaviour. Establishing habitat patches 50 m apart in agricultural landscapes would facilitate efficient movement. 4. Synthesis and applications. This study provides an extensive dataset of directly observed breeding-season monarch butterflies to assess the utilization of agricultural landscapes. Documentation of step lengths >50 m in complex, agricultural landscapes. Our findings suggest establishing habitat patches ~ 50 m apart would create functional connectivity across fragmented agricultural landscapes.
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4a. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Commentary and Speaker Introduction
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5. Tori Pocius, Penn State University
You Are What You Eat: Flight Energetics of Monarch Butterflies Reared on Different Milkweed Species
Animals get resources from their diet and in turn use them to fuel functions including growth maintenance, reproduction, and dispersal. Variation in diet can affect resource allocation, although resource allocation, especially to movement and dispersal, is poorly understood. We hypothesize that changes in host plant diet will impact performance. Monarch butterflies are among the most iconic insect species worldwide due to their specialist relationship with milkweed, a highly defended plant, and their complex migratory life history. Population declines initiated international conservation efforts involving the replanting of a variety of milkweed species. However, this practice was implemented with little regard for how diverse the defensive chemistry of milkweeds experienced by monarch larvae may affect adult fitness traits. Here, we report that adult flight muscle investment, flight energetics, and maintenance costs depend on the host plant species of larvae, and correlate with concentration of milkweed-derived cardenolides sequestered by adults. Our findings indicate host plant species can impact monarchs by affecting fuel requirements for flight.
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6. Karen Oberhauser, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Monarchs, Milkweed, and Habitat: Where and How to Focus Limited Conservation Resources
Co-authors: Skye Bruce, Wayne Thogmartin, Chris Trosen, Claudio Gratton. While we have a target for the number of milkweed stems needed to sustain the Eastern North American Migratory Monarch Population (over a billion), little is known about where and in what landscape context these stems will do the most good. In a joint effort that involved the UW-Madison, the USFWS, and USGS, we assessed how habitat patch size and landscape context affect monarch habitat use by surveying 60 grassland sites in southern and western Wisconsin. We also measured patch quality as a function of milkweed density and floral richness. Adult monarch abundance was highest at patches with the lowest proportion of surrounding grassland and was heavily influenced by patch quality variables. Egg and larva density in a patch increased with milkweed density and floral richness within a patch. Patch size was unrelated to monarch abundance. These results suggest that optimal sites for monarch habitat restoration are within landscapes which contain little habitat and that high milkweed density and floral richness and abundance should be conservation goals.
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7. David James, Washington State University
Western Monarchs: What a Difference a Year Makes!
One year ago, many monarch-watchers in the west were doom-laden and despondent concerning the future of western monarchs. The previous winter (2020/21) we saw just 1899 overwintering monarchs in California, representing a 99.9% fall from 1997. I did not share this doomsday feeling for western monarchs. Happily, my alternative view (some say Pollyanna) of monarch resilience and adaptation to a warming climate prevailed and the overwintering population in 2021/22 increased in size by 135-fold to levels not seen for five years. Estimates of the summer 2022 breeding population of monarchs in the Pacific Northwest indicate an 8-10-fold increase over summer 2021. While this will not necessarily result in an even higher overwintering population in 2022/23, it does give some hope that the upward momentum will be maintained. However, climate warming in the west will continue to shape monarch ecology. We need to be cognizant of specific drivers of change and have optimism that monarchs have the ability to respond.
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7a. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Commentary and Speaker Introduction
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8. Wendy Caldwell, Monarch Joint Venture
All Hands on Deck to Conserve Monarch Butterflies
While the needs of monarch butterflies seem simple - milkweeds to grow their young, nectar to sustain adult butterflies, and specific forest locations to accommodate their overwintering needs - a coordinated and robust approach stretching across North America is required to ensure the amazing monarch migration persists for generations to come. The charisma and decline of this insect icon present a unique opportunity to engage people and partners from all backgrounds in a robust conservation movement that yields benefits far beyond the monarch butterfly. Leveraging the unique strengths and resources of a network of over 120 partner organizations across the U.S., the Monarch Joint Venture brings stakeholders together to increase the scale and effectiveness of species conservation measures. The MJV coordinates and engages its partners to design and deliver effective habitat conservation, education campaigns, and research not only to support monarch butterflies, but to promote biodiversity and broader ecosystem functions. It is only through coordination and collaboration that we can engage All-Hands-On-Deck to protect the monarch butterfly migration.
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9. Susan Meyers, Monarchs Across Georgia
The Symbolic Monarch Migration Project
Through the Symbolic Monarch Migration Project, youth can become active participants in monarch conservation. Families, home schools, nature centers, youth groups, and classrooms are welcome to participate! Group leaders can access lessons and activities that engage youth in monarch biology and ecology. Participants create out of paper, Ambassador, and life-sized monarch butterflies that are shipped to Mexico. These symbolic butterflies are delivered to youth who attend schools near the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) in central Mexico along with an environmental lesson. Each Ambassador becomes a gift to the youth who receives it. United by the monarch butterfly, youth in Mexico, the United States, and Canada celebrate and pledge to protect monarchs and their extraordinary migration.
The Symbolic Migration project is a partnership project between Journey North, a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, and Monarchs Across Georgia, a committee of The Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia, a 501(c) (3) organization. Journey North manages the interactive Symbolic Migration Participant Maps and hosts all educational materials on the Journey North website. Monarchs Across Georgia administers the program and is responsible for all fundraising.
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10. Karen Oberhauser, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The IUCN Red List and Monarchs
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10a. Multiple Speakers
Discussion and Q & A about IUCN listing
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11. Gail Morris, Southwest Monarch Study
Southwest Monarch Study: Citizen Science Research, Education, and Conservation since 2003
The Southwest Monarch Study is a Community Science project tagging and monitoring monarchs since 2003. Over 22,000 monarchs have been tagged and recovered over time in a changing ecosystem with the help of both individual participants as well as volunteers on public lands. Today we'll share a brief overview of their data trends for publication in 2023.
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11a. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Speaker Introduction
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12. Pete Berthlesen, Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund, Conservation Blueprint
Pollinator Health & Habitat Thoughts
There are many aspects that impact monarch population and annual fluctuations, most of which we can't really control. One of those factors that we do have the ability to influence is an increased amount of pollinator habitat projects on the landscape. Since pollinator habitat projects are hard to come by and in decline, it is critically important that when we get an acre of habitat, we strive to make it the best it can be. In addition, we need to be designing and implementing habitat in more innovative, successful and inclusive ways. This presentation will outline an approach that is producing significant pollinator health and habitat benefits.
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13. Steve Bradbury, Iowa State University
To List or Not to List: Which alternative can best support monarch conservation?
In December 2020, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that listing the North American monarch as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was warranted, with habitat loss, climate change and pesticide exposure as primary threats to recovery. USFWS precluded immediate implementation of its decision due to higher priority actions to protect other listed species. With this decision the monarch became a candidate for listing; the USFWS intends to re-visit the monarch's status in 2024. The USFWS could propose to list the species or propose to maintain the candidate species designation, under the assumption voluntary conservation plans are sound and being implemented. Many voluntary programs involve a diversity of organizations whose coordinated efforts are facilitated at the state level by state departments of agriculture, natural resources and/or land grant universities. If listed, USDA would need to complete Section 7 consultations to ensure Farm Bill programs are compliant with the ESA. The Environmental Protection Agency would need to ensure current and future pesticide registrations are compliant with the ESA. Given the critical role non-federal landowners play in monarch conservation, to what extent would a listing in 2024 encourage or discourage voluntary conservation programs?
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13a. Multiple Speakers
Discussion and Q & A
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13b. Chip Taylor, Monarch Watch
Closing Remarks
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