10 Threats to Monarch Migration

10 Threats to Monarch Migration Though monarch butterflies as a species are not in danger of extinction in the near future, their unique North American migration may cease without intervention. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) calls the monarch migration an endangered biological phenomenon. Migrating monarchs face threats throughout their journey, from their overwintering sites to their breeding grounds. Here are 10 threats to monarch migration, all of them the result of human activities. Until we change our ways, monarchs will likely continue to decline throughout their North American migration route. 1. Roundup-Resistant Crops American corn and soybean growers now plant mostly genetically-modified crops that are resistant to the herbicide Roundup. Rather than till the soil to control weeds in their fields, farmers can now plant their crops first, and then spray their fields with Roundup to kill the weeds. The weeds, including milkweed, die back, while the corn or soybeans continue to grow. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), perhaps the most important monarch host plant of all the milkweeds, can still thrive in a tilled field. Ask any gardener who has planted a patch of it about how quickly it spreads, and how hard it is to keep from resprouting. But common milkweed (or any milkweed species, for that matter) cannot tolerate these repeated applications of Roundup on farm fields. Milkweed in agricultural fields is believed to have been a food source for up to 70% of monarchs in the past; the loss of these plants could seriously impact the population. Roundup doesnt discriminate, either, so nectar plants tha t once bloomed between crops have disappeared in these areas, too. 2. Insecticide Use This might seem like a no-brainer (and perhaps it is), but monarch populations can be impacted by exposure to insecticides, even those intended for controlling other insects. In some cases, the insecticide in question may be deemed safe to other, non-targeted wildlife, but often no studies exist to prove the product wont harm monarch butterflies. Fear of West Nile virus leads many communities to conduct aerial spraying programs of pesticides intended to kill mosquitoes, to the possible detriment of monarchs. Permethrin, for example, is used to control adult mosquitoes, but one study done by the Monarch Lab at the University of Minnesota showed that permethrin residue on milkweed foliage is highly lethal to monarch caterpillars, particularly in the early instars. Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis)is a bacteria that specifically targets caterpillars. It is applied aerially to forests, to combat pests like the gypsy moth, and inserted into genetically modified corn, to help the plants repel pe sts like the corn borer. Studies show that windblown pollen from GM corn can kill monarch larvae if the toxic pollen lands on milkweed foliage. Fortunately, recent research suggests Bt-laden corn pollen may not pose a serious threat to the overall monarch population. 3. Roadside Maintenance Activities Milkweed grows well in disturbed habitats like roadsides. It could be said that most monarch enthusiasts can spot a milkweed patch while driving 60 miles per hour down the highway! One would think such an easy growing host plant would give monarchs an edge, but unfortunately, the people who maintain our right-of-ways usually view milkweed as a weed, and nothing more. In many places, the roadside vegetation is mowed, often right when milkweed is at its peak and crawling with caterpillars. In some cases, roadside vegetation is treated with herbicides. As farmers eliminate milkweed from their fields with Roundup, roadside milkweed stands will be more important to migrating monarchs. 4. Ozone Pollution Ozone, a major component of smog, is highly toxic to plants. Some plants are more sensitive to ozone pollution than others. Milkweed is highly sensitive to ozone at ground level, so much so that it is considered a reliable bio-indicator of ozone pollution. Milkweed plants affected by ozone develop dark lesions on their foliage, a symptom known as stippling. While we know the quality of milkweed suffers in areas of high ground-level ozone, we know little about how this may impact monarch larvae that feed on milkweed plants in smoggy areas. 5. Deforestation Overwintering monarchs need forests for protection from the elements, and they need very specific forests at that. The population that breeds east of the Rocky Mountains migrates to mountains in central Mexico, where they can roost in dense stands of oyamel fir trees. Unfortunately, those trees are a valuable resource, and even after the monarch wintering site was designated as a preserve, logging activities continued illegally. In the 20 years from 1986 to 2006, an estimated 10,500 hectares of forest were either lost entirely or disturbed to a degree that they no longer provided suitable winter cover for the butterflies. Since 2006, the Mexican government has been more vigilant in enforcing the logging ban within the preserve, and thankfully, deforestation has decreased significantly in recent years. 6. Water Diversion Since long before the monarchs were found clinging to trees by the millions in Mexico, Mexican families have subsisted off the land in and around the oyamel forests. Local residents need water, both for their homes and for their cattle and crops. In recent years, villagers have started diverting water from mountain streams, using plastic pipes to intercept and direct it to their homes and farms. Not only does this leave streambeds dry, but it also requires the overwintering monarchs to fly longer distances in search of water. And the farther they fly, the more energy the butterflies require to survive until spring. 7. Real Estate Development California boasts some of the countrys highest property values, so its no surprise that monarchs on the west coast might get squeezed out by land developers. Both breeding habitat and wintering sites are at risk. Remember, the monarch butterfly is not an endangered species, so it isnt afforded the protections of the Endangered Species Act. So far, butterfly enthusiasts and monarch lovers have done a good job of pleading for the conservation of overwintering sites, which are scattered from San Diego County to Marin County along the California coastline. But vigilance must be maintained to make sure the monarchs keep this prime real estate. 8. Removal of Non-Native Eucalyptus Trees Why would the removal of non-native trees impact the monarch butterfly, a native species? In the mid-to-late 19th century, Californians imported and planted no less than 100 species of eucalyptus from Australia. These hardy trees grew like weeds along the California coast. Western monarch butterflies found the groves of eucalyptus trees provided ideal protection in the winter, even better than the stands of native pines where they roosted in the past. The western population of North American monarchs now relies heavily on these stands of introduced trees to see them through the winter. Unfortunately, eucalyptus is known for its propensity to fuel wildfires, so these forests are not so beloved by land managers. We may see a decline in monarch numbers where the non-native trees are removed. 9. Climate Change Monarchs need very specific climate conditions to survive the winter, and this is why their overwintering sites are limited to just 12 mountains in Mexico and a handful of eucalyptus groves in California. It doesnt matter whether you believe climate change is caused by humans (it is) or not, climate change is real and it is happening now. So what will that mean for the migrating monarchs? Scientists used climate change models to predict what conditions at the overwintering sites will be in the near future, and the models paint a gloomy picture for the monarchs. By 2055, climate change models predict the oyamel forests of Mexico will see precipitation similar to what the area experienced in 2002 when an estimated 70-80% of the monarchs in the two largest overwintering sites died. Why is wet weather so detrimental to the monarchs? In a drier climate, the butterflies can adjust to the cold by a process known as supercooling. Wet butterflies freeze to death. 10. Tourism The very people who care the most about monarchs may be contributing to their demise. We didnt even know where the monarchs spent their winters until 1975, but in the decades since, millions of tourists have made the pilgrimage to central Mexico to see this mass gathering of butterflies. Each winter, up to 150,000 visitors travel to the remote oyamel forests. The impact of 300,000 feet on the steep mountain trails causes considerable soil erosion. Many tourists travel by horseback, kicking up dust that blocks spiracles and literally suffocates the butterflies. And each year, more businesses pop up to cater to butterfly tourists, requiring more resources and creating more waste. Even in the U.S., tourism has sometimes hurt more than help the monarchs. A motel built at one of the California overwintering locations degraded the forest and caused the butterflies to abandon the site. Sources North American Monarch Conservation Plan (PDF), prepared by the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).Conservation Initiative in North America to Protect Monarch Butterfly, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).Monarch Butterfly Conservation in North America, U.S. Forest Service.Migrating Monarch Butterflies in Monterey County, Ventana Wildlife Society.Species Profile (Monarch), Species at Risk Public Registry, Government of Canada.The Effects of Mosquito-Control Applications of Permethrin on Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Larvae, Sara Brinda, 2004.Lethal and Sublethal Effects of Resmethrin on Nontargeted Species, Meredith Blank, 2006.

Vindication of the rights of women with structures on political and Essay

Vindication of the rights of women with structures on political and moral subjects - Essay Example One of the most important things to remember about this work is the fact that it was written following the French Revolution. The French Revolution was a much feared event in England, where Mary Wollstonecraft hailed from. The possibility of revolution was something that the English aristocracy feared to a great extent. This fear influenced many of their worldviews and beliefs. However, it was important to many members of the intelligentsia as a result of the liberal philosophy that it espoused. This work comes in the backdrop of the continuing French Revolution that was based on the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity. It is also based on these ideals as it talks through several perspectives for the development of equality for women in regard to their male counterparts in the society. It also seeks to counteract those notions that enable such a denigration of the roles that women play in the society. This is then something that needs to be analyzed in a more minute manner. Th is paper shall look at the different issues that Wollstonecraft brings into her discussion of gender and her critique of patriarchal social relations as they existed in England during the time of her writing this work. The work also needs to be seen in terms of the legacy of the Augustan age when reason was considered to be the most important faculties of mankind. Wollstonecraft draws on reason as the basis of the society that she envisages for mankind and also looks at reason as the way out for the patriarchal conundrum that women were faced with. This is the basis of the rights that she envisages for women. This is significant as it is a break away from the tradition-oriented debates that were common in England at the time of the French Revolution. English conservative politicians had begun to extol the virtues of traditions at a time when they were being threatened by the revolutionary fervor that was present in France. This was detrimental to the condition of women as their righ ts were being curtailed in England as a result of this insistence on tradition as well. This is one of the reasons as to why it was important for a work of this kind to come out at this point of time in history, especially in England. This insistence on tradition is then countered using the notion of reason as it was prevalent in England. Despite having said this, the spirit of the work derived from the ideas of freedom that emanated from the French Revolution. It is in this relation that one needs to look at the arguments that are advanced in favor of education by the author. She talks of education as the means through which women can be empowered. She advances the notion that this would enable them to think independently and understand the value of reason and understanding. This would also, according to her, help women to nurture their children better. She says, Contending for the rights of woman, my main argument is built on this simple principle, that if she be not prepared by e ducation to become the companion of man, she will stop the progress of knowledge and virtue; for truth must be common to all, or it will be inefficacious with respect to its influence on general practice. And how can woman be expected to cooperate unless she

Homo Religiosus by Karen Armstrong, p. 22-38 The Minds Eye by Oliver Essay

Homo Religiosus by Karen Armstrong, p. 22-38 The Minds Eye by Oliver Sacks, p. 303-317 - Essay Example According to Sacks, in a society where people lack mind’s eyes, they are likely to associate themselves with some events such as idol worshiping or despotism even if they have the physical eyes. These side effects prevent human beings from achieving a factual understanding of who they are. The idea that Sack presents in his article â€Å"The Mind’s Eye† is that trauma, in this case, blindness results to loss of â€Å"sensuous, intimate being at one with world† or loss of self (Sacks 313). Karen Armstrong of â€Å"Homo Religious† connects with Sack’s ideas that blindness trauma leads to loss of one’s self or sense (Armstrong 23). It is essential that, human beings acknowledge the dangers posed by blindness and if they persist, being victims of this, there will be no way for them to go back to a life, which has self-knowledge. Like Armstrong, Sack inveighs blindness trauma against â€Å"idol worship†. â€Å"Despotism† of sight and claims the â€Å"task† blindness trauma as reminding human beings of their other deeper perception modes as well as their mutuality (Armstrong 24). The two authors argue that a blind individual has a good sense of taste, feeling, touch, and he or she can write and speak as a â€Å"gift of the blind individuals†. Therefore being blind does not mean that one is unable to carry out duties done by other people since they have mind’s eyes (Armstrong 25). For instance, Lusseyran is able to feel, blend into one fundamental sense, has deep attentiveness, has slow and prehensile attention, and a sensuous and intimate being in the world where sight, with is flicking, quick, quality, and facile continually distracts people from. According to Sack, this concept is extremely close to an individual whose has â€Å"deep blindness† as considerably more than simple compensation other than a unique type of perception, a special and precious mode of being (Sacks 314). One essential question that people should put in mind is

Speech on Friendship Essay Example for Free

Speech on Friendship Essay If you think about it, though, we should embrace going back to school. When the day comes that there’s no school to go back to, we’ll miss it more than we think. There is no other time in our lives where we’ll experience anything like what we’re experiencing now. Never again will your biggest worries in life be about that science homework you didn’t finish, or why â€Å"Amirul† is ignoring you, or the horrible possibility of getting a pimple every Monday . Never again will you be a part of a community where an age difference of a year matters so much, and the moving up a grade, from junior to senior, seems so significant. I have some advice . Whether you stepped in , in this school this morning as an incoming freshman , or as a five years student or as a returning to school after 2 weeks of absence , remember this starting today , i always remember the words in a cartoon movie Chicken little , that is â€Å"every day is new day ! †, everyone has those first day butterflies. Who isn’t worried about grades, teachers, drama, or even getting to school on time? The best way to start a new school day right is to be prepared. Here are some tips to help you to make today and everyday as your best one yet . Wake up early, set your goals , meet new people , get involved , get organized and the most important is to have a positive attitude . Dear friends , Our secondary school years are the defining times in our lives that shape who we are, where we are going, and what we are going to do. Aside from this, they allow us to build strong friendships with people. We get to see which people are going to be there for the rest of our lives and those who will just disappear over the years. A friend is someone who is there for you, through it all. Through the pressure, boys, and drama, they are the one constant thing in your life that never fades away. I have realized at age eighteen that friends are not something you should take lightly, if we have found even just a couple of friends we are blessed. They are the people that we sing our lungs out in the car singing â€Å"Set fire to the rain†, the people we cry to, and the most importantly the people who will always have a shoulder to lean on. It is important to evaluate your relationships with your friends. You can see if they are the people you can go to with anything or if they are just another face in the crowd when you have a serious issue going on. Secondary school is the defining time in our life to find ourselves and break loose from our shells Lastly , Nowhere else but in school is there such a community. For despite the separation between grades, despite the clear distinction that comes with being juniors, and seniors, high schools have such a sense of school unity. While to us the grades we’re in make a difference, in the big picture every student at your school belongs to the same institution, is unified under the same name, is roused up by the same mascot at football games and collaborates to beat other schools in sports and academics. Secondary school is a wonderfully unique experience that many don’t appreciate until it’s too late. So instead of dreading the return to school in holidays at the end of the year, get excited about it. Like all of our parents and teachers like to tell us, you only go to high school once. In conclusion , Sure, there’s been sadness, mistakes, and let downs, but you can’t forget the good times, and you can’t ignore the photographs you took. Secondary school is an experience. I believe we should all make the most of it. May Smk Skudai will be the greatest memory of all .

Social Construct of a Pool Hall Essays -- Billiards Bars Games Essays

Social Construct of a Pool Hall Billiards, or more commonly referred to as pool has been played for many decades. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century it was played by those of upper class standing in their homes. Over the twentieth century pool shifted roles, becoming part of middle and lower class society. With the class change, pool also moved out of the home and into bars and halls. Pool has been forever transformed; today there are three main groups of pool players to be found in pool halls; professional players: blue collar players, and teenage players. Non-pool players hold a very stereotypical view of what makes up a pool hall and its patrons. It tends to be a bar, full of drunkenness and fighting. Gambling, smoking, and trashy women standing next to their men. As one mother of five children stated in her interview, "it's motorcycle people." Here she was referring to the type of people who go to pool halls. And while she has never been herself, nor does she plan to go, she describes her motorcycle people as wearing, "leather jackets with fringe over dirty white t-shirts." These stereotypes could be possible for the lack of families and older couples who would go to pool halls. As with many stereotypes, this one is also inaccurate, of the three groups, the description of a "motorcycle person" does not fit in. To define the groups of pool players, I studied a pool hall in Waterford, Michigan. This pool hall is located on the Waterford border with Pontiac, right off the main highway, in a collapsing business district. This area has seen its better days; it is now falling down the economic ladder. Now it resembles many inner cities of America. The hall is tucked back in off the highway, next ... ...oup that should be left unrecognized, the women. Players from the lower groups do not strive to become members of the professional players, as professional players do not wish to move down in the ranks. The order is set; there are very few transfers between the groups. The three groups: the professional players, the blue-collar players, and the teenagers, have forever transformed the atmosphere of the pool hall. While many stereotypes exist concerning what a pool hall is, many are not true. It is not full of "motorcycle people," nor is it a drunken scene as depicted in movies. It is a place of social construct, such as everything in society. Works Cited Jennifer. Gender Relations and Alchol: An examination of The Cocktail Waitress: Women's work in a Man's World. 5 November 2001. http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/6265/papers/gender/cocktailwaitress.html.

Home school vs Public school Essay

More parents are choosing to home school their child or children rather than enrolling their children in a public school system. The parent’s make their decision based upon the school district that they live in. Some public schools do not have up to date materials. There are certain public schools that have a more difficult curriculum, which challenges students academically. Parents want what is best for their children’s education, public or homeschooled. Public-schools give children a chance to make lifelong friends and homeschooling is more hands on learning.  One of the most important things to a parent is their child’s learning environment. Homeschooling his or her child or children will give the parent the opportunity to control his or her learning environment. By doing so parents are ensuring that nothing tragic would happen. Homeschooling is a parent who teaches his or her child or children. The parent is going to give positive feed back to their child or children. There are fewer home schooled students in a classroom than there are in a public classroom. Homeschooling has more positive influences. They do not have bullies or feel pressure from trying to fit in certain groups in school or the clothes and shoes they wear. By not acquiring those things homeschooled students have a relaxed learning environment that has the advantage o f the teacher’s attention. There are many negative influences in a public-school system. A student who attends public-school can be harassed or bullied because of the clothes or shoes a student wears. Also, students can be harassed because of by their nationality, features or their grades. In public school there is always that one student that is very popular and dresses in the new fashions, but has the worst grades and makes jokes about student’s shoes or the way they  dress. There are students who are have seen and done things that a normal child has not, which makes these students a product of their environment. These are students who have a different childhood than most children. The things they see daily like fighting, hearing gun shots, and murders daily. These students will take things into their own hands if they are confronted by a person. The learning environment in public school is unsafe. In the past decade there has been a school shooting because students were teased, bullied, students ju st did not like them. Those shootings have had a major impact on parents who choose to have their child or children in public school. It is very important for a student to develop socially in fact, students who attend public school develop better socially than home schooled students. Public-schools have interaction with different levels of students or faculty each day of the school year. By learning how to talk to different levels of students or faculty will help students choose friends. In public schools you have a variety of friends like students that have attended the same schools through their child hood. There are new students that find his or her niche, which makes the transition to a new school easy for them. Having friends that are coworkers is something a public-school student would achieve before a homeschooled student. Homeschooled students do not have any interaction with other students during school unless they have siblings who are being home schooled. The only person a homeschooled student has to interact with is their siblings and their teacher, which is their parent. Being homeschooled a student would have to find kids in their neighborhood to be friends with. That is a hard thing to do because of the fact the other kids in their neighborhood attend public school, and have friends with the same interest that they play with five days a week that builds loyalty between the friends. Nevertheless, the teaching curriculum in public school is accredited meaning the school meets the states requirements. When a student attends and accredited school it is easier for the student to transfer credits. Teaching in a public-school where everyone has to learn at the same pace sometimes hurts students. However, it also helps some students pass a test because of the test scores the teacher would grade on curve. This allows some students to achieve a passing grade. Public school students will  not have a problem with the transition from high school to college. When attending public school all students learn at the same pace. Since public school students interact with different levels of students and faculty, they feel more comfortable when attending college. Home schooling is not and accredited curriculum meaning that the curriculum that the parent is teaching was not approved by the state where they live. Furthermore, a parent cannot teach a subject better than a licensed teacher unless the parent is a licensed teacher. Employment plays a vital role for single parents sending their child or children to public school allows him or her to obtain a job and provide for their family. Single parents would not be able to home school their child or children. Simply, because they would question how will the bills get paid and get the materials needed for homeschooling. A duel parent home may choose to have their child or children attend public schools so both parents can have jobs to his or her financial needs. It also allows the student to make their own decisions while they are away from their parent or parents. They have more responsibility and pressure on them to do their school work, get help if needed, and turn in assignments in by the due date. In order to home school a child or children there must be two parents in the household. One parent must obtain a job and the other teaches their child or children. Certain rooms in the house may become the classroom. Someone would lose their room or the kitchen table would become covered with piles of paper and books. Home schooling will allow the parent to be around their child or children 24 hours a day. They will not get a break from each other and this can cause trust issues between the child or children and parent. As the child or children gets older they are going to want some type of freedom. Suffocating them can push them away from the parent or it can make the child or children be socially challenged not being able to control his or her selves when they are not around their parents. Home school students would struggle in the real world because their parent or parents have controlled everything around his or her child or children. In conclusion public school students have a responsibility to do their work and make their own decisions, by doing so it will prepare them for real life  situations. For example, attending college the instructor is not going to spoon feed the students. It will be up to the students to get help if needed and complete assignments by the due date. Public schooled students will adapt to their environment easily. Also there are more free programs, school memories like prom, sporting events, and having childhood friends from different neighborhoods through you school years. All these things are something a home schooled student will not have the chance to achieve.

Practice in Using the Past Forms of Verbs

In this two-part exercise in using the past forms of regular and irregular verbs, you or your students will first select the correct form of the verb in parentheses, and then combine the sentences in the exercise into a cohesive paragraph. This exercise can be combined with a lesson on sentence combining. Instructions For each of the following sentences, write the correct past or past-perfect form of the verb in parentheses.Combine and arrange the 31 sentences in the exercise into a paragraph of 11 or 12 new sentences. You may add, delete, or alter words in the interest of clarity, coherence, and cohesion. When you have completed both parts of the exercise, compare your work with the sample answers on page two. Exercise Questions Jughead (shut) himself up in his room last night.He (stay) there for seven hours.He (study) for the big test in history.All term he had not (open) his textbook.Often he had (forget) to go to class.Sometimes he (go) to class.He never (take) notes.So he (have) a lot of work to do.He (read) 14 chapters in his history book.He (write) dozens of pages of notes.He (draw) a time chart.The time chart (help) him to remember important dates.Then he (sleep) for one hour.The alarm (ring).Jughead (get) up to review his notes.He had (forget) a few things.But he (feel) confident.He (drink) a mug of coffee.He (eat) a candy bar.He (run) to the classroom.He had (bring) a rabbits foot for good luck.He (arrive) early at the classroom.Nobody else had (show) up yet.He (put) his head down on the desk.He never (mean) to fall asleep.He (fall) into a deep slumber.He (dream).In his dream he (pass) the test.Several hours later he (wake) up.The room had (grow) dark.Jughead had (sleep) through the big test. Correct Verb Forms Jughead shut himself up in his room last night.He stayed there for seven hours.He studied for the big test in history.All term he had not opened his textbook.Often he had forgotten to go to class.Sometimes he went to class.He never took notes.So he had a lot of work to do.He read 14 chapters in his history book.He wrote dozens of pages of notes.He drew a time chart.The time chart helped him to remember important dates.Then he slept for one hour.The alarm rang.Jughead got up to review his notes.He had forgotten a few things.But he felt confident.He drank a mug of coffee.He ate a candy bar.He ran to the classroom.He had brought a rabbits foot for good luck.He arrived early at the classroom.Nobody else had shown up yet.He put his head down on the desk.He never meant to fall asleep.He fell into a deep slumber.He dreamed (or dreamt).In his dream he passed the test.Several hours later he woke up.The room had grown dark.Jughead had slept through the big test. Sample Combinations Here is the original version of the paragraph The Big Test, which served as the model for the sentence-completion exercise on page one. Many variations are possible, of course, and so your paragraph may differ significantly from this version. The Big TestJughead shut himself up in his room last night for seven hours to study for the big test in history. He had not opened his textbook all term, and often he had forgotten to go to class. When he did go, he never took notes, and so he had a lot of work to do. He read 14 chapters in his history book, wrote dozens of pages of notes, and drew a time chart to help him remember important dates. Then he slept for just one hour. When the alarm rang, Jughead got up to review his notes, and although he had forgotten a few things, he felt confident. After drinking a mug of coffee and eating a candy bar, he picked up a rabbits foot for good luck and ran to the classroom. He arrived early; nobody else had shown up yet. And so he put his head down on the desk and, without meaning to, fell into a deep slumber. He dreamt that he had passed the test, but when he woke up several hours later, the room had grown dark. Jughead had slept through the big test.