Monitoring Western Butterflies
One of the most powerful tools we have for understanding the natural world is long-term data. In the Western US, we have one of the world's longest and most intensively-collected records, of more than 160 different kinds of butterflies across 10 sites in Northern California.
One of the most powerful tools we have for understanding the natural world is long-term data. In the Western US, we have one of the world's longest and most intensively-collected records, of more than 160 different kinds of butterflies across 10 sites in Northern California.
The umber skipper, Poanes melane
The 10 study sites span an elevational gradient and have been monitored for more than 45 years. By continually surveying these sites, we have learned a great deal about how insects are responding to a changing world in a region that includes great topographic complexity (the Sierra Nevada Mountains) as well as intense human activity (the Central Valley). During the first phase of this study, the monitoring was carried out exclusively by Distinguished Professor Art Shapiro of UC Davis (UCD) while analyses of the data were conducted by many researchers, largely based out of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Now, as the study moves into its second phase, the responsibility for monitoring is being shared by the Forister lab at UNR: we (at UNR) are monitoring the five sites in the Sierra Nevada (Washington, Lang Crossing, Donner Pass, Castle Peak, and Sierra Valley; we have also recently added Mt Rose as another high elevation location).
The 10 study sites span an elevational gradient and have been monitored for more than 45 years. By continually surveying these sites, we have learned a great deal about how insects are responding to a changing world in a region that includes great topographic complexity (the Sierra Nevada Mountains) as well as intense human activity (the Central Valley). During the first phase of this study, the monitoring was carried out exclusively by Distinguished Professor Art Shapiro of UC Davis (UCD) while analyses of the data were conducted by many researchers, largely based out of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Now, as the study moves into its second phase, the responsibility for monitoring is being shared by the Forister lab at UNR: we (at UNR) are monitoring the five sites in the Sierra Nevada (Washington, Lang Crossing, Donner Pass, Castle Peak, and Sierra Valley; we have also recently added Mt Rose as another high elevation location).
Information on the first phase of this study can be found at a UCD-hosted website here, which includes a wealth of information on individual butterflies as well as seasonal summaries posted by Dr. Shapiro. We also invite you to explore our pages (see links across the top of the page) that include photos of sites and butterflies as well as tools for learning more about the unique long-term record that we are dedicated to maintaining into the indefinite future as a unique record of insect diversity.
Information on the first phase of this study can be found at a UCD-hosted website here, which includes a wealth of information on individual butterflies as well as seasonal summaries posted by Dr. Shapiro. We also invite you to explore our pages (see links across the top of the page) that include photos of sites and butterflies as well as tools for learning more about the unique long-term record that we are dedicated to maintaining into the indefinite future as a unique record of insect diversity.
If you'd like to get in touch with us for any reason, you can find contact information for Matt Forister at UNR on his lab website here.
You can visit the main Forister lab pages here.
A short video from one of our sites can be found here.