An important pollinator is disappearing from Florida, according to the Miami Herald.
What's happening?
Populations of the Miami blue butterfly have dropped by 99% since 1992. Experts have pointed to habitat loss as a primary driver, with rising temperatures not far behind. Looming on the horizon are rising sea levels, which are likely to swallow up more of the Miami blue butterfly's habitat in due course.
The Miami blue butterfly isn't alone in its challenges. American butterfly populations have dropped across the board by 22% between 2000 and 2022. The monarch butterfly has seen population drops of 59% in recent memory.
Why are butterflies important?
Losing another pollinator species increases the stakes in an increasingly difficult battle.
"There are so many complexities to the habitats here. If we lost all of the pollinators here, I think that we'd be losing much more than just the habitat; I think we'd be losing humanity," said Tiffany Moore, a research specialist at Zoo Miami, per the Herald.
Pollinators play a vital role in propagating crops. Without them, human food systems are at significant risk. However, the costs of losing pollinators extend beyond just utility.
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"You're losing the culture, our history," Moore said. "Native American tribes here have relied on certain plant species for their cultural practices over centuries — they'd be losing a piece of that history as well."
What's being done about pollinators?
Recovery efforts can certainly bear fruit. Some butterfly species in the United Kingdom have impressively bounced back.
Moore encouraged residents to plant native gardens to support pollinators amid massive challenges. She recommended including host plants for caterpillar stages and flowers for butterfly stages. Native gardens are also well-suited to the local climate, which means minimal maintenance and watering. Zoo Miami has developed a guide to help locals find the right plant species for their native gardens.
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