Pending PNAS Study - Butterfly Numbers, Diversity Falling Fast Across All Of California

[hatrack]

California butterflies are reeling from a one-two punch of climate change and land development, says an unprecedented analysis led by UC Davis butterfly expert Arthur Shapiro. The new analysis, scheduled to be published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, gives insights on how a major and much-studied group of organisms is reacting to the Earth's warming climate.

"Butterflies are not only charismatic to the public, but also widely used as indicators of the health of the environment worldwide," said Shapiro, a professor of evolution and ecology. "We found many lowland species are being hit hard by the combination of warmer temperatures and habitat loss."

The results are drawn from Shapiro's 35-year database of butterfly observations made twice monthly at 10 sites in north-central California from sea level to tree line. The Shapiro butterfly database is unique in science for its combination of attributes: one observer (which reduces errors), very long-term, multiple sites surveyed often, a large number of species (more than 150), and attendant climatological data. Shapiro's co-authors include three other UC Davis researchers and two former Shapiro graduate students, including lead analyst Matthew Forister, now an assistant professor of biology at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Their most significant findings:

* Butterfly diversity (the number of different species present) is falling fast at all the sites near sea level. It is declining more slowly or holding roughly constant in the mountains, except at tree line.
* At tree line, butterfly diversity is actually going up, as lower-elevation species react to the warming climate by moving upslope to higher, cooler elevations.
* Diversity among high-elevation butterflies is beginning to fall as temperatures become uncomfortably warm for them and, Shapiro says, "There is nowhere to go except heaven."

EDIT

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/uoc--uds011110.php

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. See also…

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=225519&mesg_id=225519

[arachadillo]

2. Butterflies

Sounds bad, especially because so many of my http://greennature.com/article1273.html">Butterfly Pictures come from the area.

I can also attest to the difference in butterfly biodiversity at low and high altitudes.

Projects like the Siskiyou Crest National Monument campaign are geared at helping protect biodiversity.
http://www.kswild.org/

[NNadir]

3. I wonder if the El Segundo blue survived...

As I recall, it was found only in an empty lot near the Chevron refinery there.

Not much hope under that circumstance, eh?