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is habitat loss and, in particular, the loss
of milkweeds in Midwestern prairie
ecosystems.
Nebraska is home to seventeen
different species of milkweeds that
inhabit prairies, woodland, wetlands, and
even disturbed areas such as roadsides.
Widespread species in Nebraska include,
common, whorled and swamp milkweed,
while infrequent species include spider,
green antelope-horn and butterfly
milkweed. Although they are sometimes
conspicuous plants, it is only recently
that milkweeds have drawn public
attention. Their decline in the breeding
range of monarchs is closely linked to the
decline of the butterflies arriving at their
overwintering grounds.
Restoring monarch populations will
require managing habitats within its
breeding range using methods that
increase the abundance of milkweeds.
In 2016, the Nebraska Monarch and
Pollinator Initiative set the goal of
providing 125 million new milkweed
stems. To accomplish this goal,
conservationists must first evaluate
different land management practices to
see how they impact milkweed abundance.
Working for the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission and National Wildlife
Federation, I recently completed a two-
year study of 278 grasslands with different
plant composition and management
regimes. Results of the study showed
that some prairie management techniques
such as prescribed burning, invasive tree
removal and seeding with a high diversity
seed mix resulted in increased milkweed
abundance and richness.
Using the results of this and other
studies, Nebraska conservationists hope to
be pioneers in restoring milkweed habitat,
which not only benefits monarchs, but
also other pollinators and wildlife that
share their habitats. ✔
Monarch caterpillar on a common milkweed plant.
A botanical illustration of milkweed 19th
century.
PHOTO
BY
JEFF
KURRUS
2
Milkweed...
