Climate-change and mass mortality events in overwintering monarch butterflies

Narayani Barve; Alvin J. Bonilla; Julia Brandes; J. Christopher Brown; Nathaniel Brunsell; Ferdouz V. Cochran; Rebecca J. Crosthwait; Jodi Gentry; Laci M. Gerhart; Trish Jackson; Anna J. Kern; Karen S. Oberhauser; Hannah L. Owens; A. Townsend Peterson; Alexis S. Reed; Jorge Soberón; Adam D. Sundberg; Linda M. Williams

doi:10.7550/rmb.26460

Climate-change and mass mortality events in overwintering monarch butterflies

Narayani Barve, Alvin J. Bonilla, Julia Brandes, J. Christopher Brown, Nathaniel Brunsell, Ferdouz V. Cochran, Rebecca J. Crosthwait, Jodi Gentry, Laci M. Gerhart, Trish Jackson, Anna J. Kern, Karen S. Oberhauser, Hannah L. Owens, A. Townsend Peterson, Alexis S. Reed, Jorge Soberón, Adam D. Sundberg, Linda M. Williams

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have a unique yearly life cycle, in which successive generations breed and move northward from the southern USA in spring to the northern US and southern Canada by late summer; they overwinter in extremely restricted areas in central Mexico and along the California coast. Mexican overwintering populations have experienced significant mortality events recently, which have been hypothesized as increasing in frequency owing to climate change. Here, we test the hypothesis of climate-change causation of these mortality events, at least in part, finding significant local weather trends toward conditions lethal for monarch survival. We use ecological niche estimates and future climate projections to estimate future overwintering distributions; results anticipate dramatic reductions in suitability of present overwintering areas, and serious implications for local human economies.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	817-824
Number of pages	8
Journal	Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad
Volume	83
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.26460
State	Published - Sep 2012
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Climate change
Lethal temperature
Monarch butterfly
Mortality
Winter

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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10.7550/rmb.26460

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Barve, N., Bonilla, A. J., Brandes, J., Brown, J. C., Brunsell, N., Cochran, F. V., Crosthwait, R. J., Gentry, J., Gerhart, L. M., Jackson, T., Kern, A. J., Oberhauser, K. S., Owens, H. L., Peterson, A. T., Reed, A. S., Soberón, J., Sundberg, A. D., & Williams, L. M. (2012). Climate-change and mass mortality events in overwintering monarch butterflies. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 83(3), 817-824. https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.26460

Barve, N, Bonilla, AJ, Brandes, J, Brown, JC, Brunsell, N, Cochran, FV, Crosthwait, RJ, Gentry, J, Gerhart, LM, Jackson, T, Kern, AJ, Oberhauser, KS, Owens, HL, Peterson, AT, Reed, AS, Soberón, J, Sundberg, AD & Williams, LM 2012, 'Climate-change and mass mortality events in overwintering monarch butterflies', Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, vol. 83, no. 3, pp. 817-824. https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.26460

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title = "Climate-change and mass mortality events in overwintering monarch butterflies",

abstract = "Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have a unique yearly life cycle, in which successive generations breed and move northward from the southern USA in spring to the northern US and southern Canada by late summer; they overwinter in extremely restricted areas in central Mexico and along the California coast. Mexican overwintering populations have experienced significant mortality events recently, which have been hypothesized as increasing in frequency owing to climate change. Here, we test the hypothesis of climate-change causation of these mortality events, at least in part, finding significant local weather trends toward conditions lethal for monarch survival. We use ecological niche estimates and future climate projections to estimate future overwintering distributions; results anticipate dramatic reductions in suitability of present overwintering areas, and serious implications for local human economies.",

keywords = "Climate change, Lethal temperature, Monarch butterfly, Mortality, Winter",

author = "Narayani Barve and Bonilla, {Alvin J.} and Julia Brandes and Brown, {J. Christopher} and Nathaniel Brunsell and Cochran, {Ferdouz V.} and Crosthwait, {Rebecca J.} and Jodi Gentry and Gerhart, {Laci M.} and Trish Jackson and Kern, {Anna J.} and Oberhauser, {Karen S.} and Owens, {Hannah L.} and Peterson, {A. Townsend} and Reed, {Alexis S.} and Jorge Sober{\'o}n and Sundberg, {Adam D.} and Williams, {Linda M.}",

year = "2012",

month = sep,

doi = "10.7550/rmb.26460",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "83",

pages = "817--824",

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AU - Barve, Narayani

AU - Bonilla, Alvin J.

AU - Brandes, Julia

AU - Brown, J. Christopher

AU - Brunsell, Nathaniel

AU - Cochran, Ferdouz V.

AU - Crosthwait, Rebecca J.

AU - Gentry, Jodi

AU - Gerhart, Laci M.

AU - Jackson, Trish

AU - Kern, Anna J.

AU - Oberhauser, Karen S.

AU - Owens, Hannah L.

AU - Peterson, A. Townsend

AU - Reed, Alexis S.

AU - Soberón, Jorge

AU - Sundberg, Adam D.

AU - Williams, Linda M.

PY - 2012/9

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N2 - Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have a unique yearly life cycle, in which successive generations breed and move northward from the southern USA in spring to the northern US and southern Canada by late summer; they overwinter in extremely restricted areas in central Mexico and along the California coast. Mexican overwintering populations have experienced significant mortality events recently, which have been hypothesized as increasing in frequency owing to climate change. Here, we test the hypothesis of climate-change causation of these mortality events, at least in part, finding significant local weather trends toward conditions lethal for monarch survival. We use ecological niche estimates and future climate projections to estimate future overwintering distributions; results anticipate dramatic reductions in suitability of present overwintering areas, and serious implications for local human economies.

AB - Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have a unique yearly life cycle, in which successive generations breed and move northward from the southern USA in spring to the northern US and southern Canada by late summer; they overwinter in extremely restricted areas in central Mexico and along the California coast. Mexican overwintering populations have experienced significant mortality events recently, which have been hypothesized as increasing in frequency owing to climate change. Here, we test the hypothesis of climate-change causation of these mortality events, at least in part, finding significant local weather trends toward conditions lethal for monarch survival. We use ecological niche estimates and future climate projections to estimate future overwintering distributions; results anticipate dramatic reductions in suitability of present overwintering areas, and serious implications for local human economies.

KW - Climate change

KW - Lethal temperature

KW - Monarch butterfly

KW - Mortality

KW - Winter

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Climate-change and mass mortality events in overwintering monarch butterflies

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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