Abstract
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) are two disturbance-dependent, migratory species that have both suffered from breeding habitat loss and degradation. Given the overlap in distribution and ecological needs, efforts to manage golden-winged warbler habitat may also benefit monarchs. In 2021, we surveyed monarchs, milkweed (Asclepias spp.), nectar resources, and structural vegetation characteristics at 49 sites managed for golden-winged warblers (“GWWA sites”) in the western Great Lakes region. We compared our observations to data from nearby sites managed specifically for monarchs (“reference sites”) and assessed the influence of site and landscape characteristics on monarch (adult/immature) and milkweed presence within GWWA sites. Immature monarchs, adult monarchs, and milkweed were 22x, 5x, and 110x more abundant at reference sites compared to GWWA sites, respectively. At GWWA sites, the presence of immature monarchs was positively associated with floral abundance and the presence of immature monarchs and milkweed presence were both positively associated with proportion of emergent herbaceous wetland cover within 500 m and 1 km. Additionally at GWWA sites, immature monarch density increased with milkweed density. Lastly, the presence of adult monarchs was positively associated with size of treatment area. Implications for insect conservation: Our findings suggest that sites managed as golden-winged warbler habitat can contribute to monarch habitat goals. This will best be done by conducting conservation practices that increase milkweed and floral abundance (e.g., via supplemental plantings) and targeting sites with more semi-natural herbaceous cover (e.g., pastures, herbaceous wetlands), while still meeting golden-winged warbler land cover requirements.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 879-894 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Journal of Insect Conservation |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This project was primarily funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service “Conservation Effects Assessment Project” (CEAP) award # A-3A75-16-522. Additional funding was provided by Pennsylvania Wildlife for Everyone Foundation and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists. The Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund supported habitat management efforts on public sites in Minnesota. We are grateful to Claire Ratcliff and Spencer Henkel for collecting field data. We thank Cloquet Area Forest, Carlton, Aikin, Douglas, and Saint Louis counties for providing us access to these public places. We are especially thankful to NRCS and ABC staff for helping us coordinate access to study sites, especially Kevin Sheppard, Callie Bertsch, and Patrick Weber. Lastly, we are greatly appreciative of the private landowners who provided us with access to their property. Wildlife monitoring efforts on private lands would not be possible without these passionate and curious individuals, we greatly appreciate all that they have done for wildlife conservation and science.
Funding Information:
This project was primarily funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service “Conservation Effects Assessment Project” (CEAP) award # A-3A75-16-522. Additional funding was provided by Pennsylvania Wildlife for Everyone Foundation and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists. The Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund supported habitat management efforts on public sites in Minnesota. We are grateful to Claire Ratcliff and Spencer Henkel for collecting field data. We thank Cloquet Area Forest, Carlton, Aikin, Douglas, and Saint Louis counties for providing us access to these public places. We are especially thankful to NRCS and ABC staff for helping us coordinate access to study sites, especially Kevin Sheppard, Callie Bertsch, and Patrick Weber. Lastly, we are greatly appreciative of the private landowners who provided us with access to their property. Wildlife monitoring efforts on private lands would not be possible without these passionate and curious individuals, we greatly appreciate all that they have done for wildlife conservation and science.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Keywords
- Early-successional
- Floral resources
- Milkweed
- Monarch conservation
- Shrub-sheairng
- Songbird conservation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
- Insect Science
