(환경) 호랑나비를 구하라
(환경) 호랑나비를 구하라
And that they are insect royalty. But now their kingdom is under attack. We end tonight with one of nature’s most beautiful creatures and greatest mysteries. No one knows why, but every fall, nearly every Monarch Butterfly in North America migrates to central Mexico. But now as Seth Doane tells us, the Monarchs went to resort is going through its own metamorphosis변형 변태.
Every spring, these blue skies turn orange. For centuries, millions of Monarch butterflies have come to these same ancient forests, traveling from as far away as Maine, North Dakota, even Canada. They weigh just a fifth of a penny, but so many flapping wings can sound like falling rain.
For veteran conservationist, Bill Toone, this site is both awesome and troubling. There are an estimated 250 million Monarch butterflies that winter겨울을 보내다 in this preserve. That sounds like a lot, it certainly looks like a lot, but imagine 15 years ago, there were nearly one billion. The problem is these giant fir trees전나무 where Monarchs huddle for warmth are being cut down. This was the forest next to the butterfly grounds in 2004. By 2008, it looked like this.
Without cover, millions of butterflies can freeze to death. In an average year, up to 15%. This year, bad weather killed more than 50%. The Mexican government set aside about 140,000 acres as a protected zone for the Monarch Butterflies. Still, inside this zone, every year, more than 100,000 trees are cut down.
Mexico recently lost nearly 7% of its forests, an area twice the size of New Jersey, much of it from illegal logging. Deforestation threatens more than Monarchs. It destroys watersheds분수계 which can cause mudslides. This one, five miles from the butterfly sanctuary killed 17 people. But even average families contribute to the problem, consuming about 40 trees a year to cook and heat their homes.
Now, Monarchs are leaving these forests, mating along the way. Over summer, four generations will be born and die, each living about a month before a super generation arrives. They'll live seven months, and having never been to Mexico before. Saving the migration means saving the forest. The question is, how much time do these Monarchs really have? Seth Doane, CBS News, Michoacán, Mexico.