Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus)
Diffendorfer JE, Botello F, Drummond MA and others. Scientific reports, March 2024.
Read the paper Free to read · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-56693-z
What this paper is about
Twenty years of land cover and milkweed and nectar data for Mexico and Texas, with about thirty years of climate records, covering the ground monarchs use for spring breeding and both legs of the migration.
Milkweed in Texas declined by an estimated 2.9 percent. Mexico showed little change. The authors describe the overall effects on migratory habitat as small.
Summarised here from the abstract below. Not the authors’ words.
Abstract
The decline of the iconic monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America has motivated research on the impacts of land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate variability on monarch habitat and population dynamics. We investigated spring and fall trends in LULC, milkweed and nectar resources over a 20-year period, and ~ 30 years of climate variables in Mexico and Texas, U.S. This region supports spring breeding, and spring and fall migration during the annual life cycle of the monarch. We estimated a - 2.9% decline in milkweed in Texas, but little to no change in Mexico. Fall and spring nectar resources declined < 1% in both study extents. Vegetation greenness increased in the fall and spring in Mexico while the other climate variables did not change in both Mexico and Texas. Monarch habitat in Mexico and Texas appears relatively more intact than in the midwestern, agricultural landscapes of the U.S. Given the relatively modest observed changes in nectar and milkweed, the relatively stable climate conditions, and increased vegetation greenness in Mexico, it seems unlikely that habitat loss (quantity or quality) in Mexico and Texas has caused large declines in population size or survival during migration.
Abstract reproduced from the published paper, which is licensed CC BY. Copyright remains with the authors.
Find the paper
Cite this page
This page is licensed CC BY 4.0. Quote it, adapt it and reuse it, including commercially, as long as you credit Milkweed USA and link back.
Milkweed USA. (2026). Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) (listing). Retrieved DATE, from https://milkweedusa.com/research/changes-in-landscape-and-climate-in-mexico-and-texas-2024/
"Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) (listing)." Milkweed USA, 2026, https://milkweedusa.com/research/changes-in-landscape-and-climate-in-mexico-and-texas-2024/. Accessed DATE.
Milkweed USA. "Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) (listing)." Last modified 2026-08-01. Accessed DATE. https://milkweedusa.com/research/changes-in-landscape-and-climate-in-mexico-and-texas-2024/.
@misc{milkweedusa_researchchangesinlandscapean,
title = {Changes in landscape and climate in Mexico and Texas reveal small effects on migratory habitat of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) (listing)},
author = {{Milkweed USA}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://milkweedusa.com/research/changes-in-landscape-and-climate-in-mexico-and-texas-2024/},
note = {Accessed DATE}
}