Role of Prescribed Fire to Maintain Habitat for Monarch Butterflies and other Pollinators

Since the mid-1990s, the eastern monarch population has declined by approximately 85%. In response to the population loss, monarchs are currently on the candidate waiting list for Endangered Species Act protection. In the United States, monarchs have lost up to 165 million acres of breeding habitat due to herbicide use and anthropogenic development. Monarchs rely on milkweed species (Asclepias sp.) as a host for laying eggs and as food when they are caterpillars. Between 1999 and 2012, milkweed numbers across the midwest declined by an estimated 64% due to threats such as habitat loss, anthropogenic development, and herbicide use. OKNP and KDFWR have used efforts to help restore pollinator and monarch habitat at Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site. OKNP has used prescribed fire on rotation over the last decade to maintain grassland habitat and promote growth of pollinator friendly plants in a key roosting area for the monarch butterfly. Potential…