Home
Milkweed and Monarch Butterflies
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: Wetland Plants
Below are two photos I took Saturday of Monarch caterpillars eating Milkweed leaves, their sole source of food. Monarch butterflies have declined precipitiously over the last twenty years, a direct result of declines in Milkweed, open space, and the degradation of their winter nesting grounds in Mexico.
In the Northeast, Milkweed is not considered a wetland plant by the USDA for wetland classification purposes, but is elsewhere in the United States it's status differs, as there are over 100 species of Milkweed in the United States. The swamp Milkweed found in the west thrives only in moist soils, and the photos I took were roadside, in a very dry environment. Due to the toxins found in Milkweed, which are also present in the caterpillar, birds and other predators steer clear from what would otherwise be a juicy snack.
Some helpful pages here:
Native Milkweeds - The Xerces Society
USDA Milkweed plant Profile
Wetlands Institute - Monarch butterfly
NRCS Monarch Butterfly Habitat Development Project
Monarch Butterfly Conference Report
A particularly well researched monograph on Milkweed from a Botanists perspective
New Website
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: Other
Just a quick update, the long overdue website update has been completed to the most recent version of Joomla! Some Menu items and dropdowns still need to be updated, but the site now offers more features and is much more mobile friendly.
Wetland Plant Guides
- Details
- Written by charlie
- Category: Wetland Plants
Below are a few visual resources for learning about Wetland Plants,I always found that photos are easier to learn from than black and white drawings that are found in many books. They can also be referred to more easily while out in the field, assuming you have internet connectivity. The flashcards are a novel idea, and you can use it to gauge your progress about your knowledge of wetland plants. Each of the 133 flashcard lists bothe Common names, scientific names, and additional info the particular species, as well as an audio component. The only drawback is the flashcards were created 4 years ago, and not edited recently.
Specific to the Michigan and to the Midwest, many of the plant species found in the over 2,000 photos are also found elsewhere in the United States, and can still serve as a guide for other areas.
Wetland Plant Flash Cards
Photos and Characteristics of Wetland Plant Species and Wetland Ecological Communities of Michigan and the Upper Midwest
Wetlands in the News
06 May 2024
-
Wild turtle painted in what may be a senior prank. It’s no joke to Port Royal wetlands group
A not-for-profit that advocates for Cypress Wetlands and its wildlife notes it is against the law to harass wildlife...
-
Feds Say They Can Handle Permits Amid Legal Fight Over Wetlands With Florida
Federal environmental officials have pushed back against arguments by Florida that a legal fight over wetlands-related permitting has put more than 1,000 permit applications into "regulatory limbo."...
-
Unveiling nature's custodians: Study highlights crucial role of scavengers in wetlands
A study by researchers from the Ecology area of the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Ecology department of the University of Alicante (UA) reveals the fundamental importance of...
-
One goal of the $500K wetlands project is to curb the flooding of the Killbuck Creek
Benefits of H2Ohio project include harnessing the power of the regular flooding of the Killbuck Creek into feeding the wetlands.
-
10 things to know about the Long's Park wetlands
While the vibe at the wetlands in Long’s Park is not quite on the level of a Claude Monet painting, hints of similarity shine as a shimmering dragonfly deftly maneuvers...