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Monarch
Butterfly Migration Update: February 10, 2006
Today's
Report Includes:
Exploring
Monarch Winter Habitat:
Temperature, Temperature, Temperature
To
understand monarch survival in Mexico, the role of temperature can't be
overstated. Remember: Habitat is the place--and the conditions--where an
organism's needs for life are met. Notice how temperature conditions affect
the monarch's needs for food, water, shelter, and space. Today's examples
are only the beginning!
Brrrr…It
Can Be Cold in Mexico!
Most people assume the monarchs fly to Mexico to spend the winter in a
place that is warm. Were you surprised last week to see pictures of people
wearing hats and mittens there? Why is it so cold? After all, this is
subtropical Mexico.
Temperature
and Elevation
The Monarchs are Nearly Two Miles High!
The
monarchs form their winter colonies at very high elevations. They
select sites at or above 10,000 feet. Temperatures can be very cold
that high, especially at night. There are only 12 monarch mountains
known. Three of the twelve are shown on this
NASA image. Can you find them? Notice how the monarch's mountains
rise like islands above the surrounding land. (This
picture shows how it looks when you're there.) To understand
the importance of elevation, let's check today's temperatures in
places near the monarch sanctuaries, but at lower elevations, and
see how they compare.
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Can
you find the three sanctuaries?
See
this image.
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Temperature
and Time of Year
What Does This Graph Mean for Monarchs?
This
graph shows the average low temperatures for each month of the year
in the monarch sanctuaries. It’s mid-February now. What have
the monarchs experienced since they arrived in November? How are
things about to change? Look at the graph carefully and write a
paragraph to describe it.
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Temperature
and Survival
A Balancing Act
Temperature conditions in the sanctuaries are key to monarch survival. If
temperatures are too cold the butterflies will freeze to death. If temperatures
are too warm the butterflies will burn their stored fat too quickly and
starve to death. Wait, does this make sense to you?
Challenge
Question #2
"People burn more energy in cold temperatures,
trying to keep warm. Can you explain why monarchs burn less
energy in cold temperatures?"
- To respond
to this Challenge Question, please follow these instructions.
Discussion
of Challenge Question #1: What Do Two Pictures Say?
Last week, just two pictures from the monarch sanctuaries revealed many
clues about the climate there. Students from Florida, Vermont, and New Hampshire
answered this challenge. Here
are the students' observations, as well as the inferences they were able
to make.
The Next
Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on February 17, 2006
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