Recent Forest Cover Loss in the Core Zones of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico

摘要: The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) in central Mexico was established 2000 to protect monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) overwintering colonies and contribute the conservation of migratory phenomenon. Since it decreed, MBBR has faced deforestation pressures (forest cover loss) due illegal logging climatic factors. Here we report trends from 2012 2018 core zones where most perch. We used aerial ortho-photographs satellite images complemented with field validation for temporal comparisons. During this period, 163.44 ha forest were affected; 125.44 natural factors (rain wind), 25.86 large-scale logging, 12.14 small-scale logging. zone located State Michoacan showed highest values 94.07 lost factors, 32.63 Over all significantly decreased an effective shared effort including local communities, NGOs, academic institutions, governmental agencies, philanthropists. Our study also a significant decrease approximately 98% compared previous years 2001 (Vidal et al., 2013). Deforestation remained similar (120 130 ha) between both studies. during period studied suggests that elsewhere rather than butterfly’s winter habitat have strongly contributed dramatic population declines observed recent since 2010.