Effects of human activities on monarch butterfly habitat in protected mountain forests, Mexico

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Isabel Ramírez ◽  
Joaquín G Azcárate ◽  
Laura Luna

Since the monarch butterfly overwintering habitat was discovered in the mountainous fir forests in central Mexico three presidential decrees have been issued (1980, 1986, 2001) to protect it. But these forests are the source of livelihood for many local people, whose activities (wood extraction and clearance for subsistence farming) represent a major threat to the forests, and thus to the butterfly population. This study identifies important deforestation, disturbance, and recovery processes caused by human activities in the protected areas and their surroundings. Contrary to our expectations, the protected areas have been most negatively affected by human activities, whereas areas devoted to multiple uses have been more adequately preserved. Key words: monarch butterfly habitat, deforestation, forest disturbance, protected areas

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Ramiro Pérez-Miranda ◽  
Víctor Javier Arriola-Padilla ◽  
Martín Enrique Romero-Sanchez

Every year, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) travels to hibernate in oyamel fir forests located between the limits of the states of Michoacán and Mexico in Mexico. Climate change and anthropogenic actions are diminishing oyamel fir forests in Mexico, putting pressure on the habitats of monarch butterflies. In the last decade, new colonies outside their usual range have been predicted through modeling and reported by the National Commission on Protected Areas of Mexico. The objectives of the study were to recover information on the historical and new hibernation sites, reported or modeled, from different literature sources. We also aimed to perform a bioclimatic and forest biometric characterization of new monarch butterfly colonies located in Sierra Nevada in Mexico to provide information to aid in conservation strategies for the monarch butterfly population. We conducted field trips to georeference the colonies at sites located in the Atlautla municipality in Mexico State. Climatic, topographic, and forest biometric variables were used to characterize the sites physically. It was found that the butterfly’s roosts occurred at a higher elevation than those recorded by other sources. The locations where the monarch’s colonies were established, in the east of Mexico State, provide information relevant to defining and developing policies for their conservation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 377
Author(s):  
Zachary D. Miller ◽  
Wayne Freimund ◽  
Stefani A. Crabtree ◽  
Ethan P. Ryan

Cultural resources are commonly defined as resources that provide material evidence of past human activities. These resources are unique, as they are both finite and non-renewable. This provides a challenge for traditional visitor use management since these resources have no limits of acceptable change. However, with nearly every national park in the US containing cultural resources, coupled with ever-growing visitation, it is essential that managers of parks and protected areas have the ability to make science-informed decisions about cultural resources in the context of visitor use management. We propose a framework that can help provide context and exploration for these challenges. Drawing on previous literature, this framework includes risk-based approaches to decision making about visitor use; visitor cognitions related to cultural resources; emotions, mood, and affect related to cultural resource experiences; creating and evaluating interpretive programs; deviant visitor behaviors related to cultural resources; and co-management.


Author(s):  
Per-Olav Moksnes ◽  
Per R. Jonsson

There is growing awareness that ocean life is under unprecedented stress caused by the loss of habitat and biodiversity resulting from human activities. Spatial management by establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) is proposed as an important method to conserve biodiversity, manage fisheries, and increase ecosystem resilience. However, a major challenge in spatial management is that most MPAs and networks of MPAs have been created with little regard to larval dispersal and connectivity within and outside protected areas. Because of the limited understanding of larval connectivity, it is therefore often unclear whether the MPAs are ecologically functional. Larval behavior and dispersal are particularly well studied in benthic crustaceans, making them excellent model organisms to address this challenge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-152
Author(s):  
Eric L. Bullock ◽  
Christoph Nolte ◽  
Ana L. Reboredo Segovia ◽  
Curtis E. Woodcock

Oryx ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Nolte

AbstractProtected areas are intended to conserve biodiversity by restricting human activities within their boundaries. However, such restrictions are difficult to enforce fully in many tropical parks. Improving regulatory enforcement requires an understanding of prevailing challenges to detection and sanctioning activities. Drawing from empirical field research in 15 Colombian parks, I show that current enforcement efforts may be insufficient to deter most priority threats. For long-term infractions, such as agriculture, livestock grazing, and construction, sanctioning violators is challenging, whereas for furtive infractions, such as logging and hunting, it may be difficult to detect violators. Investment in staff, equipment and infrastructure may fail to increase enforcement capacity and yield positive conservation outcomes unless accompanied by resolution of land tenure, clarification of use rights, improved patrolling strategies and protection of park guards.


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