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January 31, 2014

Migrating Monarch Butterfly Population in Mexico Drops to Record Low 
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The number of Monarch butterflies who fly south to spend the winter in
Mexico has dropped to its lowest level since record keeping began more
than 20 years ago. A new report finds the butterflies covered less than
two acres of forest in December compared to nearly 45 acres during their
peak in the mid-1990s. Researchers attribute the decline to factors
including deforestation, extreme weather from climate change, and a rise
in genetically modified corn and soybean crops designed to resist
Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller. Widespread dousing with the herbicide has
destroyed milkweed, the butterflies' food source. Experts fear the
Monarchs' annual migration from Canada and the United States to Mexico
is at risk of disappearing entirely.

 

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