DSSC 8310.001: Monarch Butterfly Conservation: Uniting a Continent

Tuesdays 3-5pm,September 15 - October 27, Green Hall 220A

Karen S. Oberhauser: Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Course Overview: The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is best known for the incredible migration made by the eastern North American population, in which individuals fly from their summer breeding grounds as far north as southern Canada to overwintering habitat in central Mexico. Although the species itself is not in danger of extinction, the North American migration is considered an endangered biological phenomenon due to threats to monarch habitat during its annual cycle of breeding, migrating and wintering. Because monarchs depend upon a wide range of habitats in Canada, the United States and Mexico, conservation of the migratory phenomenon requires trilateral cooperation. In this seminar, we will explore how these three countries have worked together to create a comprehensive North American Monarch Conservation Plan. We will look at economic tensions between agricultural practices, urban sprawl, and habitat conservation in the US and Canada; and logging, subsistence farming, and habitat conservation in Mexico. Our discussions will address how scientists, policy makers, conservationists, campesinos, and citizens perceive monarch conservation, and how their perceptions affect on the ground action.

About your professor: I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology; I joined the department in 2003 after many years as researcher and environmental/science educator at the U of MN. My students and I have studied many aspects of monarch butterfly biology and monarch interactions with their natural and human-influenced environment. I am president of the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving monarch overwintering habitat in Mexico, and have worked on several national and international government efforts to preserve monarchs and other insects. Much of my work is focused on bringing science to a wide variety of audiences through work with K-12 teachers and students and a nation-wide citizen science program.

Office Hours: Immediately after class or by appointment. I encourage you to visit my office any time that we’re both free; I look forward to getting to know you outside of class.

Course Reading:Oberhauser et al. 2008. North American Monarch Conservation Plan (distributed at no charge during first week of class) and other readings from the primary literature posted on WebVista. You should expect to spend about an hour reading before most class periods.

Course Website: We will be using a WebVista web site for the course, whichyou will be able to access through the MyU Login.

Class atmosphere: Any true discussion involves personal exposure and, thus, the taking of risks. Your ideas may not agree with your neighbors' ideas, yet as long as your points are honest and supportable, they need to be respected by all of us in the class.

Course gradesare determined based on participation in class discussions, and leading one class discussion. Attendance is very important, since most of the class time will be spent on discussions. If you will miss one of our 7 classes, please contact me beforehand with a reason for your absence.

Minimum Requirements

  1. Come on time and attend ALL classes for the fully allotted time.
  2. Read assigned materials by the assignment date.
  3. Actively participate in class discussions, and lead at least one discussion.
  4. Follow scholastic conduct policy.

If you are ill or have another unavoidable documented (e.g. with a doctor’s note) emergency that requires that you miss over 2 classes, you may choose to receive an incomplete for the course. "I" grades will automatically lapse to "N"s at the end of the next semester of a student's registration.

Classroom Expectations Guidelines: A complete set of University policies can be found at this website: Please contact the instructor, the UM Student Services Office at 625-5900, or CFANS Student Services at 624-3034 if you would like more information on the above services or policies.

Disabilities: Students with disabilities that affect their ability to participate fully in class or to meet all course requirements are encouraged to bring this to my attention so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged. Further information is available from Disabilities Services (230 McNamara).

Date / Topic
15-Sep / Introduction to Monarch Biology and Conservation, possible observations in campus butterfly garden (weather permitting)
22-Sep / Monarchs and Climate Change
29-Sep / Farm bill/other legislation, land use change andimpacts on monarchs and other pollinators
6-Oct / Natural Protected Areas in Canada, the US and Mexico
13-Oct / Land tenure in Mexico - ejido system and subsistence farming, payments for ecological services
20-Oct / Overwintering Site Deforestation (with exciting audiovisuals!). Guest speakers – Drs. Isabel Ramirez (Centro de Investigaciones en Geografía Ambiental, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and Lincoln Brower (Research Professor of Biology, SweetBriarCollege; Distinguished Service Professor of Zoology Emeritus, University of Florida)
27-Oct / Insect conservation, ecological services and flagship species, utilitarian vs. non-utilitarian reasons for saving nature

Readings

Week 1. Sept 15. (NAMCP pp 11-23)

Oberhauser, K. S., D. Cotter, D. Davis, R. Décarie, A. E. Behnumea, C. Galino-Leal, M. P. Gallina Tessaro, E. Howard, J. Lauriault, W. Maczieski, S. Malcolm, F. Martínez, J.M. González, M. McRae, D. Nernberg, I. Pisanty Baruch, I. Ramírez, J. J. Reyes, and A. Wilson. 2008. North American Monarch Conservation Plan. Commission on Environmental Cooperation. Montreal, Canada.

Week 2. Sept 22. (NAMCP p 27)

Batalden, R., K.S. Oberhauser, A.T. Peterson. 2007. Ecological niches in breeding generations of Eastern North American monarch butterflies. Ecol. Entomol. 36:1365-1373.

Carroll, M. J., B. J. Anderson, T. M. Brereton, S. J. Knight, O. Kudrna, and C. D. Thomas. 2009. Climate change and translocations: The potential to re-establish two regionally-extinct butterfly species in Britain. Biological Conservation 142:2114-2121.

Oberhauser, K.S. and T. Peterson. 2003. Modeling current and future potential wintering distributions of Eastern North American monarch butterflies. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 100:14063-14068.

Week 3. Sept 29. (NAMCP pp 23-24)

Oberhauser, K.S., Prysby, M.D., Mattila, H.R., Stanley-Horn, D.E., Sears, M.K., Dively, G., Olson, E., Pleasants, J.M., Lam. W.F. & Hellmich, R. 2001. Temporal and spatial overlap between monarch larvae and corn pollen. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 98 (21): 11913-11918.

Wood, S., K. Sebastian, S.J. Scherr. 2000. Pilot analysis of global ecosystems: Agroecosytems. World Resources Institute.

Xerces Society. 2008. 2008 Farm Bill: Benefits to crop pollinators. Invertebrate conservation fact sheet.

Week 4. Oct 6. (NAMCP pp 28-34)

Montensinos, E. 2009. Improving training for tour guides in monarch Natural Protected Areas: Toward a sustainable ecotourism. Unpublished MS Thesis, University of Minnesota.

Week 5. Oct. 13. (NAMCP, selected actions from table)

Missrie, M., K. Nelson. 2005. Direct payments for conservation: Lessons from the monarch butterfly conservation fund. Research Summary/Paper No. 8. College of Natural Resources, University of Minnesota

Perramond, E. 2008. The rise, fall, and reconfiguration for the Mexican ejido. Geographical Review; Jul2008, 98 (3):356-371.

Thoms, C.A., D.R. Betters. 1998. The potential for ecosystem management in Mexcio’s forest ejidos. Forest Ecology and Management 103:149-157.

Week 6. Oct. 20. (NAMCP pp 24-26)

Bojorquez, L.A., Brower, L.P., Castilleja, G., Sánchez-Colón, S., Hernández, M., Calvert, W.H., Díaz, S., Gómez-Priego, P., Alcantar, G., Melgarejo, E.D., Solares, M.J., Gutiérrez, L., & Juárez, M.d.L. (2003) Mapping expert knowledge: redesigning the monarch butterfly biosphere reserve. Conserv. Bio. 17:367-379.

Brower, L.P., Castilleja, G., Peralta, A., Lopez-Garcia, J., Bojorquez-Tapia, L., Diaz, S., Melgarejo, D., & Missrie, M. 2002. Quantitative changes in forest quality in a principal overwintering area of the monarch butterfly in Mexico: 1971 to 1999. Conservation Biology 16:346-359.

Harris, G., S. Thirgood, J.G.C. Hopcraft, J.P.G.M. Cromsigt, J. Berger. 2009. Global decline in aggregated migrations of large terrestrial mammals. Endang Species Res 7:55–76

Honey-Rose. J. 2009. Disentangling the proximate factors of deforestation: the case of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Land Degrad. Develop. 20: 22–32

Ramírez, M. I., J. G. Azcárate, L. Luna. 2003. Effects of human activities on monarch butterfly habitat in protected mountain forests, Mexico. The Forestry Chronicle 79 (2): 242-247

Ramírez. M. I., R. Miranda, R. Zubieta, M. Jimenez. 2006.Land Cover and Road Network Map for the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, 2003. Journal of Maps. 181-190 (and see maps in separate file)

Slayback, D.A., Brower, L.P., Ramirez, M.I., & Fink, L.S. (2007) Establishing the presence and absence of overwintering colonies of the monarch butterfly in Mexico by the use of small aircraft. American Entomologist 53:28-39.

Slayback, D.A. & Brower, L.P. (2007) Further aerial surveys confirm the extreme localization of overwintering monarch butterfly colonies in Mexico American Entomologist 53:146-149.

Week 7. Oct. 27. (NAMCP pp 35-37)

Ashworth, L., M. Quesada. A. Casas. R. Aguilar, K. Oyama. 2009. Pollinator-dependent food production in Mexico. Biological Conservation. 142: 1050-1057

Guiney, M. S. and K. S. Oberhauser. 2008. Insects as flagship conservation species. Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews. 1:111-123.

Losey, J. E. and M. Vaughan. 2006. The economic value of ecological services provided by insects. Bioscience 6 (4): 311-323.

Week 6. Oct. 20. (NAMCP pp 24-26)

Bojorquez, L.A., Brower, L.P., Castilleja, G., Sánchez-Colón, S., Hernández, M., Calvert, W.H., Díaz, S., Gómez-Priego, P., Alcantar, G., Melgarejo, E.D., Solares, M.J., Gutiérrez, L., & Juárez, M.d.L. (2003) Mapping expert knowledge: Brower, L.P., Castilleja, G., Peralta, A., Lopez-Garcia, J., Bojorquez-Tapia, L., Diaz, S., Melgarejo, D., & Missrie, M. 2002. Quantitative changes in forest quality in a principal overwintering area of the monarch butterfly in Mexico: 1971 to 1999. Conservation Biology 16:346-359.

Harris, G., S. Thirgood, J.G.C. Hopcraft, J.P.G.M. Cromsigt, J. Berger. 2009. Global decline in aggregated migrations of large terrestrial mammals. Endang Species Res 7:55–76

Honey-Rose. J. 2009. Disentangling the proximate factors of deforestation: the case of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Land Degrad. Develop. 20: 22–32 (2009)

Ramírez, M. I., J. G. Azcárate, L. Luna. 2003. Effects of human activities on monarch butterfly habitat in protected mountain forests, Mexico. The Forestry Chronicle 79 (2): 242-247

Ramírez. M. I., R. Miranda, R. Zubieta, M. Jimenez. 2006.Land Cover and Road Network Map for the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, 2003. Journal of Maps. 181-190 (and see maps in separate file)

Slayback, D.A., Brower, L.P., Ramirez, M.I., & Fink, L.S. (2007) Establishing the presence and absence of overwintering colonies of the monarch butterfly in Mexico by the use of small aircraft. American Entomologist 53:28-39.

Slayback, D.A. & Brower, L.P. (2007) Further aerial surveys confirm the extreme localization of overwintering monarch butterfly colonies in Mexico American Entomologist 53:146-149.

Week 6. Oct. 20. (NAMCP pp 24-26)

Bojorquez, L.A., Brower, L.P., Castilleja, G., Sánchez-Colón, S., Hernández, M., Calvert, W.H., Díaz, S., Gómez-Priego, P., Alcantar, G., Melgarejo, E.D., Solares, M.J., Gutiérrez, L., & Juárez, M.d.L. (2003) Mapping expert knowledge: Brower, L.P., Castilleja, G., Peralta, A., Lopez-Garcia, J., Bojorquez-Tapia, L., Diaz, S., Melgarejo, D., & Missrie, M. 2002. Quantitative changes in forest quality in a principal overwintering area of the monarch butterfly in Mexico: 1971 to 1999. Conservation Biology 16:346-359.

Harris, G., S. Thirgood, J.G.C. Hopcraft, J.P.G.M. Cromsigt, J. Berger. 2009. Global decline in aggregated migrations of large terrestrial mammals. Endang Species Res 7:55–76

Honey-Rose. J. 2009. Disentangling the proximate factors of deforestation: the case of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Land Degrad. Develop. 20: 22–32 (2009)

Ramírez, M. I., J. G. Azcárate, L. Luna. 2003. Effects of human activities on monarch butterfly habitat in protected mountain forests, Mexico. The Forestry Chronicle 79 (2): 242-247

Ramírez. M. I., R. Miranda, R. Zubieta, M. Jimenez. 2006.Land Cover and Road Network Map for the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, 2003. Journal of Maps 181-190 (and see maps in separate file)

Slayback, D.A., Brower, L.P., Ramirez, M.I., & Fink, L.S. (2007) Establishing the presence and absence of overwintering colonies of the monarch butterfly in Mexico by the use of small aircraft. American Entomologist 53:28-39.

Slayback, D.A. & Brower, L.P. (2007) Further aerial surveys confirm the extreme localization of overwintering monarch butterfly colonies in Mexico American Entomologist 53:146-149.