Milkweed Research Paper

Words: 1061
Pages: 5

They cannot get to her garden because there is not enough in other places of the world. The milkweed is being destroyed throughout the world which is a worry because it is the only food eaten by monarchs. There are different types of milkweed that exist, and not a single monarch is alike like humans. “Monarch preferences may differ between garden locations, or from week to week or even from year to year. That is why I always stress the importance of planting more than one milkweed species in any garden or restoration project” (Sarikonda). Macneil must have taken into account the types of milkweed she planted in her garden because she can never know what they will prefer. The caterpillars also munch on milkweed so they have potential to grow …show more content…
Deforestation is when a large area is cleared of trees. This plays into illegal logging because that is when timber is cut, transported, or processed in violation of laws. They both involve trees which is where monarch colonies create habitats. There are also many reserves that are created with trees so they can relax with their wings parallel to the tree trunk. The reserves are the main target for deforestation and illegal logging. The timber is being sold or used to be made into materials humans use daily. Little do people know that the trees provide a safe zone for the monarchs. Climate change is causing another safe zone that monarchs use to lay eggs to be in danger. The monarch migrates based on temperature changes within a season. The seasons affect the monarchs physiologically and behaviorally. The largest amount of migration is seen in mid-September. Their ability to do a southward and northward migration comes from the energy they get from milkweed. The number of generations changes each year because temperatures are different (Brower). The milkweed is hit by climate change because there are more droughts than ever before. The droughts cause the milkweed to die before it can be of use for the monarchs. If there are droughts, then there are also fires. The fires get so high at some points, and the monarchs cannot survive the flight through. They die during their journey because they cannot fly right through the fire (Risinit). Like a human, they die when they get burned too severely. Climate change brings droughts and fires which then directly affect the monarchs. The monarch population is obviously decreasing due to several factors, but why should humans