Why do monarchs like oyamel fir trees?

The dense canopy of the oyamel fir forests maintains the microhabitat necessary for monarchs by acting as a blanket, keeping them warm enough at night by retaining heat from the ground, and acting also as an umbrella, which protects them from rain, wind, and snow.

Do monarch butterflies settle on oyamel fir trees?

The livelihood of the monarch depends on the oyamel or sacred fir tree (Abies religiosa) that grows there. The butterflies spend December to March each year clinging to these trees that protect them from the rain and the chill.

Where is the monarch butterfly forest?

The reserve is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine-oak forests ecoregion on the border of Michoacán and State of Mexico, 100 km (62 miles), northwest of Mexico City. Millions of butterflies arrive in the reserve annually.

Are there monarch butterflies in Wyoming?

Monarch butterflies are hard to find in Wyoming. That one will be descended from a monarch that’s currently wintering in Mexico (not from the group west of the Rockies wintering in California). It’s the only North American butterfly that must migrate because it can’t survive cold winters like other butterflies.

What is the oyamel forest?

The oyamel forest is a relic from a time when the earth was cooler and wetter. As the earth warmed, the forest retreated up the mountainsides to retain the cool, moist climate to which the trees are adapted.

What are oyamel trees?

Abies religiosa, the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as oyamel in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala.

Where is the Oyamel forest?

Mexico
Abies religiosa, the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as oyamel in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico (Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala.

Where do monarch butterflies go in winter?

Monarch butterflies in North America migrate from the colder northern regions to overwinter in California and Mexico, with some of the butterflies travelling thousands of kilometres! As the temperature warms, they return north to reproduce.

What is Wyoming’s state butterfly?

Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak
State Butterfly: Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak.

Does milkweed grow in Wyoming?

The most common Wyoming milkweed is A. speciosa Torrey, common along roadsides, but it’s not the most attractive one. Pink-flowered swamp milkweed, one of 14 milkweeds native to Wyoming, is becoming more popular. Milkweeds are easily grown from seed but require stratification.

What does oyamel mean in English?

religious fir
The Spanish name oyamel comes from the Nahuatl word oyametl (oya, “to thresh”; metl, “agave”; literally “threshing agave”). The English name derives from the binomial Abies religiosa, literally “religious fir”.

Where are oyamel fir forests?

The distribution of the oyamel fir forest in Mexico is extremely limited. It is shown in black on the vegetation map of Mexico. Oyamel firs are confined to high mountain massifs, which are few and far between.

Where can you find monarch butterflies in Mexico?

Monarch butterfly overwintering colonies are found in Mexico’s oyamel fir forest, a unique mountain habitat. Oyamel firs (Abies religiosa) grow only at high altitudes, between 2,400 and 3,600 meters. The distribution of the oyamel fir forest in Mexico is extremely limited.

Where does the oyamel fir grow in Mexico?

Oyamel firs (Abies religiosa) grow only at high altitudes, between 2,400 and 3,600 meters. The distribution of the oyamel fir forest in Mexico is extremely limited. It is shown in black on the vegetation map of Mexico. Oyamel firs are confined to high mountain massifs, which are few and far between.

Is the oyamel forest open to the public?

This essentially pays local residents to stop logging in the Oyamel Forest. Two of the sanctuaries are open to the public, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua. El Rosario was the first site opened to the public. Sierra Chincua was opened to visitors in 1996.

What kind of climate does a monarch butterfly need?

The mountain hillsides of oyamel forest provide an ideal microclimate for the butterflies. Here temperatures range from 0 to 15 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is lower, the monarchs will be forced to use their fat reserves. The humidity in the oyamel forest assures the monarchs won’t dry out allowing them to conserve their energy.