Western butterflies declining as climate gets warmer, drier
By Stephanie McKnight on 08 Mar, 2021
LINK: Read the full study here.
LINK: Washington Post
LINK: National Geographic
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A new study “Fewer butterflies seen by community scientists across the warming and drying landscapes of the American West” published in the Journal Science last week paints a dim picture for western butterfly species. The study found that butterfly abundance has declined by 1.6% each year for the past four decades. Previous studies have revealed strong correlations between butterfly declines and human development and pesticide use. This new study found that climate change – specifically, warming fall temperatures – is more strongly correlated with the decline of butterfly abundance in the western United States.
Read the full study here.
This study was covered widely by the media, including the Washington Post and National Geographic.
Citation: Forister, M. L., C. A. Halsch, C. C. Nice, J. A. Fordyce, T. E. Dilts, J. C. Oliver, K. L. Prudic, A. M. Shapiro, J. K. Wilson, and J. Glassberg. 2021. Fewer butterflies seen by community scientists across the warming and drying landscapes of the american west. Science 371:1042–1045.
