Title: Science World
Course: Archive

Science news - issue 1

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Monarch trouble

MONARCH TROUBLE

Every winter, millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S. and Canada to forests in central Mexico, where it's warm. But over the past decade, habitat changes in many places where monarchs breed, migrate, or spend the winter have reduced them to record-low numbers. The insects once occupied 45 acres of forest in Mexico. Last December, they occupied less than 2 acres.
Scientists think the population may have declined from about a billion to 35 million. "It's very alarming," says Karen Oberhauser, a monarch expert at the University of Minnesota. Dwindling food supplies, extreme temperatures, and illegal deforestation have caused the decline.
Although it's unlikely that the insects will die off completely, seeing monarchs in nature might become rare. "Monarchs deserve our protection," says Oberhauser. "They're an icon of the natural world."

Question 1

1 The number of monarch butterflies is rising.

- true
- false

Question 2

2 Only human activities are responsible for the decline.

- true
- false

Question 3

3 Monarch butterflies will become extinct soon.

- true
- false