The beautiful monarch butterfly is facing an unprecedented decline (前所未有的减少) and Utah State University (USU) wants to make sure that doesn't happen.
To help the struggling butterfly, USU students have been capturing and tagging (给……贴标签) monarch butterflies in the Uintah Basin.
Tagging butterflies will allow researchers to know their migration path and protect their feeding grounds. Every year, monarch butterflies start "3,000-mile migration, traveling south to Mexico each fall and back up Canada in the spring," according to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).
Because of habitat loss and increased pesticide (杀虫剂) use, monarch butterflies have experienced a population decline upwards of 90%, according NWF.
"Monarch butterflies are facing a large historical decline over the last 40 years," says USU senior Carson Liesik, a student on the project. "The population, as of the beginning of 2020, was about 30,000 monarchs in the Western United States, which is about a 99% drop as compared to information from the 1980s. We are hoping to learn how to help the monarch butterfly population recover from its historical decline. This project is an important step."
When tagging the butterflies, students record information about each one including its wing condition and location of discovery. Then students map migration path as well as habitat use and activity. They tag each butterfly with unique number so that if it is recaptured at a later date, they can know growth stage. With the collected information students get an idea of where these monarch butterflies are and how they are using the resources around them.
Researchers say the public can help protect the monarch butterfly population, too. "The best way is by growing milkweed plants wherever you may have space. Milkweed is the main food source that monarch butterflies depend on. If you plant milkweed in your yard, you might be lucky enough to see monarchs stop and breed (繁殖)." says the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR).
