Monarch butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Don’t expect to see a lot of monarch butterflies when the fall migrations get rolling soon. Some biologists say populations are about half of last year. Most worry the numbers will slide even further in the future.

Weather events, such as the winter storms that killed many monarchs last winter in Mexico, come and go. A trend towards declining habitat shows no signs of stopping. Monarchs need milkweed plants on which to lay their eggs. Modern farming practices and herbicides have removed millions of milkweed plants from the landscape.

Studies are being done to see if the species should be put on the federal threatened or endangered species list. Research is being done to determine the likelihood monarchs may become largely extinct across their range. Some models indicate it’s a coin toss if there will be enough monarchs around to sustain a migrating population in 20 years.

Many conservation and agriculture groups are working together as they try to find a way to increase monarch butterfly habitat — in a hurry.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Monarch butterfly."