Progress 08/08/15 to 04/03/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences are farmers and ranchers, and citizens of fragmented urban and suburban areas. Changes/Problems:Due to reduced funding for this project, surveys in Michigan focused on monitoring the adults during the season. Very good information was obtained about the adults population dynamics, nectar preferences, roosting behavior, wing size, dispersion, and sex proportion during and after the season. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Four undergraduate students and one PhD student were trained in capturing, tagging and releasing butterflies. In addition, three people from local communities of Sierra Chincua, El Rosario and Cerro Pelon at the overwintered grounds were trained in using GPS, an important tool to pinpoint locations. Other aspects of feeding behavior, dispersion, and movement of monarchs were taught. The response to this training to people from Sierra Chincua was very positive because they realized that they are able to generate new knowledge about the monarch butterflies at the overwintering grounds, and this is empowering to people from this community. In Michigan a collaboration was established with a citizen scientists: Mary Seeterlin has been consistently sampling eggs from milkweeds during three years, and rearing butterflies. Remarkable data was generated by Mary Seeterlin concerning butterfly rearing during the past three years. This year butterfly production was three times higher than last year (more than 700 this year). Peak of egg laying was higher in the middle of August of each year. Additional colaboration forPollinators/monarch butteflies conservationsis in progress with NGOs and civil organizations and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the regional offices of the US Fish and Wildlife Services. This partneship will bring many training and professional development opportunities in the near future. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Mass migration of monarch butterflies from Sierra Chincua back to the USAin 2017 was reported in Journey North at : http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/spring2017/08/mota_sanchez_032317.html), and the first butterflies arrival at Sierra Chincua in the fall 2016 at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/fall2016/11/monarch-butterfly-migration102716.html. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Monarch overwintering grounds. A strong collaboration with the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and people from the local communities has been established. Dr. David Mota-Sanchez performed a trip to the overwintering grounds in Mexico (Cerro Pelon, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua) to study the movement of monarch butterflies colonies and take additional measures of the area affected by the winter storm in 2016. In addition, an estimation of the spring mass migration of monarch butterflies from Sierra Chincua was determined (Mota-Sanchez and Castaneda, 2017-Journey North http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/spring2017/08/mota_sanchez_032317.html). In less than seven days about 99% of the monarch butterflies colony departed from Sierra Chincua to the US. This is the first report of if its kind and it provides an excellent insight of the migration of the monarch back to the north. In addition, this first report of butterflies arrival in the fall 2016 at Sierra Chincua was reported by David Mota-Sanchez and Javier Castaneda (http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/fall2016/11/monarch-butterfly-migration102716.html). Michigan activities. In contrast to last year, we observed the first monarch butterflies arriving early in the season (beginning of June) to our sample habitats. Butterfly population dynamic surveys were performed from May to October in each sampling site (7). This season more than 200 butterflies were captured, tagged and released. Data collected from these tagged butterflies include: the sex, general conditions of the wings, color, and scales of the butterflies. Two or three times more butterflies were observed in comparison with last year. In addition, more matings were observed this year than last year. More males were observed patrolling patches of milkweeds, and very few females were captured in comparison with males in July, and August and the first two weeks of September. However, in the last two weeks of September male biases was reduced and we observed an increase in the number of females as these butterflies prepare to migrate to the overwintering grounds in Mexico. There was less rain this year than last year, and that might cause a reduction of flowers in some locations in comparison with last year. More monarchs were more localized to source nectars in September than to grasslands or prairies in our sampling sites at the Ingham County. Larvae of monarchs were more easily localized in comparison with last year.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Mota-Sanchez, D. Monarch butterflies in Michigan, and mortality caused by the 2016 winter storm in the monarch butterflies at Sierra Chincua. 2017. Seminar presented at the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) Michoacan, Mexico.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Mota-Sanchez, D. and Castaneda, J. 2017. Departure from Sierra Chincua Sanctuary Michigan State University. Published on March 21st 2017 at: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/spring2017/08/mota_sanchez_032317.html
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers, ranchers, students, scientists, and citizens of fragmented urban and suburban areas. Additionally, and somewhat unique to Michigan, is a a community of socially disadvantaged first generation Latino farmers born in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. These farmers were born in the very state in Mexico where the monarchs overwinter. Therefore they are especially in tune with the idea that their cultural practices on their farms in Michigan can influence the monarch butterfly populations in Mexico. Changes/Problems:Due to the very low larval infestations and reduce funding for this project surveys in Michigan focused on the monitoring the adults during the season. Very good information was obtained about the adults population dynamics, nectar preferences and roosting behavior. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Dissemination of the monarch butterfly issues was provided by You tube-Saving monarch butterflies (about 1,100 views). In addition, interviews with the press were provided so citizens of Michigan were aware of the conservation of the monarch butterflies in Michigan including planting milkweeds. Undergrad students were trained in sampling larvae and adults of monarch butterflies. A report of activities in an NC507 meeting at Cleveland, Ohio in June 2016 were performed and future direction were discussed during this meetings. This was an excellent opportunity to establish an excellent partnership with all member of the NC507 Rapid Response Project How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Social media, You tube and MSU Extension bulletins were used to disseminate the results. In addition, press interviews were additional means of communication. You tube.Saving Monarch Butterflies (more than 1,100 views) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPNB1HvjgjU Department of Entomology http://research.msu.edu/mota-sanchez/ College of Agriculture http://www.canr.msu.edu/news/mota_sanchez_video_gives_us_a_look_at_mexicos_monarch_sanctuaries MSU Extension. Dr. Doug Landis led a project to prepare an extension bulletin explaining the reasons behind the low number of monarchs in Michigan. July 26, 2016 by Doug Landis, and David Mota-Sanchez, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology, and Duke Elsner, MSU Extension. Why so few monarchs this season? http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/why_so_few_monarchs_this_season What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To accomplish the goal of this project is critical to partner with NGOs and other civil organizations, and colaborators in the state of Michigan including Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the regional offices of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The MSU AgBioresearch supported a trip to Mexico in February 2016 to visit three overwintering grounds (Piedra Herrada, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua). PI David Mota-Sanchez has the linguistic and cultural skills to establish a strong colaboration with the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve and people from the local communities. The conservation of the monarch butterflies is a complex task and it requires a trilateral effort from institutions, NGOs, universities and general public from Mexico, US and Canada. This relationship is very important because in March a severe winter storm affected the monarch populations in the overwintering grounds. Partnering with people from the local community, and Biosphere Reserve a survey was performed to estimate the mortality caused by the winter storm in butterflies. More than 82,000 butterflies were sample and assessed the cause of mortality (dead by cold, or predation by birds in each sex). Eighty tree percent of the butterflies died due to the freezing conditions and 17% by predation. The percentage of butterflies mortality in Sierra Chincua are in progress of being calculated, but conservative numbers indicate that it was over 50%. Milkweed distribution was observed in Ingham county, Michigan in soybean and corn crops, and other habitats. A survey of monarch larvae on 1,000 milkweed plants (Asclepias syriaca and A. incarnata) was performed in June and July in various habitats including the perimeters of soybean and corn fields, and urban, and suburban environments. Not a single larvae was found during the sampling. This situation might be due to the fact that a severe winter storm drastically affected the monarch population in Mexico, and that affected the numbers of overwintered populations coming back from Mexico to the southern states of the US, and then the following generation that coming to the Midwest. In the middle of July the first butterflies were observed arriving to our sample habitats, but the numbers were low (from 1 to 5) in seven samples sites. Butterfly population dynamic surveys were performed from July to September in each sampling site. Data collected included: the sex, general the conditions of the wings, color, and scales of the butterflies. Roosting behavior was observed too, and this is important because Michigan has a less fragmented environment in comparison with other states of the Midwest providing a woody area refuge for adults. In addition, feeding preferences in different type of flowers were performed. Low number of larvae were observed in additional milkweed samples in August and September. In the month of September we observed a higher number of monarchs in five of the sample sites with numbers from 2 to 30 butterflies per site. It is likely that the peak of the monarch observation is due to the preparations for migration to Mexico.
Publications
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Progress 08/08/15 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:This brand new project will target farmers, ranchers, students, scientists, and citizens of fragmented urban and suburban areas. Additionally, and somewhat unique to Michigan, is a a community of socially disadvantaged first generation Latino farmers born in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. These farmers were born in the very state in Mexico where the monarchs overwinter. Therefore they are especially in tune with the idea that their cultural practices on their farms in Michigan can influence the monarch butterfly populations in Mexico. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To accomplish the goal of this project it is critical to partner with NGOs and other civil organizations, and colaborators in the state of Michigan including Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the regional offices of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This is a brand new project; therefore there is nothing to report at this time.
Publications
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