具有歷史意義的交易為帝王蝶保留了數(shù)百萬條授粉通道

具有歷史意義的交易為帝王蝶保留了數(shù)百萬條授粉通道

A huge swath of land that wasn't being fully utilized has been set aside for monarch butterfly habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the University of Illinois at Chicago have signed an agreement to create habitat for the butterflies on potentially millions of acres along rights-of-way and associated land. The agreement unites more than 45 companies in the energy and transportation fields and private landowners in the voluntary conservation agreement, according to the USFWS.

一大片沒有被充分利用的土地被用來作為帝王蝶的棲息地。美國魚類和野生動(dòng)物管理局和伊利諾斯州大學(xué)芝加哥分校簽署了一項(xiàng)協(xié)議，將沿著道路權(quán)和相關(guān)土地為這些蝴蝶創(chuàng)造潛在的數(shù)百萬英畝的棲息地。根據(jù)USFWS，該協(xié)議聯(lián)合了超過45家能源和交通領(lǐng)域的公司和自愿保護(hù)協(xié)議中的私人土地所有者。

Monarchs are typically found in open areas during breeding season. They depend on milkweed to survive. (Photo: Paul Roedding/Shutterstock)

Although the side of the road might not seem an ideal environment for many species, it's perfect for butterflies and other pollinators. These miles-long buffers along highways and utilities "can support native vegetation, provide refuge for wildlife and connect fragmented habitat," says the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, an international nonprofit organization. "They can support native vegetation, provide refuge for wildlife and connect fragmented habitat."

盡管路邊對(duì)許多物種來說似乎不是理想的環(huán)境，但對(duì)蝴蝶和其他傳粉者來說卻是完美的環(huán)境。這些沿著公路和公用設(shè)施的幾英里長的緩沖區(qū)“可以支持原生植被，為野生動(dòng)物提供避難所，并連接破碎的棲息地，”國際非營利組織Xerces無脊椎動(dòng)物保護(hù)協(xié)會(huì)說。“它們可以支持原生植被，為野生動(dòng)物提供庇護(hù)，并連接破碎的棲息地。”

As part of the agreement, landowners will create and maintain parts of their land, carrying out conservation measures to reduce or remove threats to monarch butterflies. Although the agreement specifically focuses on monarchs, the measures are expected to benefit several other species, particularly pollinating insects.

作為協(xié)議的一部分，土地所有者將創(chuàng)建和維護(hù)他們的部分土地，實(shí)施保護(hù)措施，以減少或消除對(duì)帝王蝶的威脅。盡管該協(xié)議專門針對(duì)帝王蝶，但預(yù)計(jì)這些措施將惠及其他幾個(gè)物種，尤其是授粉昆蟲。

The agreement is important because populations of both the eastern and western monarchs have dropped by more than 80% in the past 20 years. Possible reasons for the monarch's population decline include habitat loss at breeding and overwintering sites, pesticides, disease, logging, and climate change. The USFWS is scheduled to decide in December 2020 if the monarch butterfly will be classified as federally endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

這項(xiàng)協(xié)議很重要，因?yàn)樵谶^去的20年里，東西方帝王蝶的數(shù)量都減少了80%以上。黑脈金斑蝶數(shù)量下降的可能原因包括繁殖和越冬地點(diǎn)棲息地喪失、殺蟲劑、疾病、伐木和氣候變化。美國魚類和野生動(dòng)物管理局計(jì)劃在2020年12月決定是否根據(jù)《瀕危物種法案》將帝王蝶列為聯(lián)邦瀕危物種。

Why endangered status matters

瀕危狀態(tài)為何重要

Highway rights-of-way can support native vegetation, offering lots of habitat for pollinators. (Photo: SariMe/Shutterstock)

When working on the agreement, some businesses and land managers were concerned what would happen if the monarch gained endangered status, reports Mongabay. They were worried that if they voluntarily created monarch habitat, then new regulations concerning the butterfly's new status would subject them to more rules.

據(jù)Mongabay報(bào)道，在制定協(xié)議的過程中，一些企業(yè)和土地管理者擔(dān)心如果帝王蝶的地位受到威脅會(huì)發(fā)生什么。他們擔(dān)心，如果他們自愿建立帝王蝶的棲息地，那么有關(guān)這種蝴蝶新地位的新規(guī)定將使他們受到更多的約束。

"Some companies wanted to wait to see how the listing would play out," Iris Caldwell, a program manager at the Energy Resources Center at UIC, told Mongabay. "But if you are following what's happening with the butterflies you know we really can't wait. We need to be creating habitat on a variety of different landscapes, as much as we can."

UIC能源中心的項(xiàng)目經(jīng)理Iris Caldwell告訴Mongabay:“一些公司想要等待最后的結(jié)果。但如果你一直在關(guān)注蝴蝶的動(dòng)向，你就會(huì)知道我們真的等不及了。我們需要在各種不同的景觀上創(chuàng)造棲息地，盡我們所能。”

Caldwell is part of Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group, a group of 200 organizations from private industry, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and education in the U.S. and Canada. The forum shares ideas and best management practices for creating and supporting rights-of-way for pollinators.

考德威爾是人居環(huán)境工作組的成員之一，該工作組由來自美國和加拿大的私營企業(yè)、政府機(jī)構(gòu)、非營利組織和教育機(jī)構(gòu)的200個(gè)組織組成。該論壇分享了為授粉者創(chuàng)造和支持通行權(quán)的想法和最佳管理實(shí)踐。

The new rights-of-way agreement is also covered by the USFWs Candidate Conservation Agreement (CCA) and Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA). These are voluntary but formal agreements between the businesses and landowners and the USFWS that conserve at-risk species. With the CCAA, the landowners are assured that if the monarch is later listed as endangered, they won't be required to take more protective measures on their land.

新的通行權(quán)協(xié)議也包括USFWs候選保護(hù)協(xié)議和候選保護(hù)協(xié)議。 這些都是自愿的，但又是正式的企業(yè)和土地所有者與保護(hù)風(fēng)險(xiǎn)物種的USFWS之間的協(xié)議。 有了候選保護(hù)協(xié)議，土地所有者就會(huì)得到保證，如果帝王蝶后來被列為瀕危物種，他們就不會(huì)被要求在他們的土地上采取更多的保護(hù)措施。

"So they can just kind of go about business as usual. And if they happen to accidentally kill monarchs in that process, they won't be subjected to the under the endangered species laws," Tara Cornelisse, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Mongabay. "So, in turn, what they're supposed to do is give a percentage of those enrolled lands over to conservation."

“所以他們可以像往常一樣工作。如果在這個(gè)過程中意外殺死了帝王蝶，他們將不受瀕危物種法的限制，”生物多樣性中心的資深科學(xué)家塔拉·科奈利斯告訴Mongabay。“所以，反過來，他們應(yīng)該做的是把登記的土地的一部分重點(diǎn)保護(hù)。”

Officials estimate that as many as 2.3 million acres of roadsides and utility lands may be involved in the agreement, becoming habitat for monarchs and other pollinators.

官員們估計(jì)，多達(dá)230萬英畝的道路和公用事業(yè)用地可能參與了這項(xiàng)協(xié)議，成為帝王蝶和其他授粉昆蟲的棲息地。

"This is a net benefit agreement," Timothy Male, executive director of the nonprofit Environmental Policy Innovation Center, told E&E News. "The butterfly is clearly better off with than without this agreement."

非營利組織環(huán)境政策創(chuàng)新中心執(zhí)行主任蒂莫西·馬累在接受E&E新聞采訪時(shí)表示:“這是一份凈收益協(xié)議。有了這個(gè)協(xié)議，蝴蝶的日子顯然好過沒有這個(gè)協(xié)議的時(shí)候。”