Monarch Butterfly Migrations – The Relationship Between Seasons and Sightings
Climate and temperature changes may greatly affect species that depend on environmental cues for reproduction, migration, and hibernation triggers. The purpose of this study was to test if migration patterns of monarch butterflies were affected by changing climates in New York, specifically in Central Park. We hypothesized that in a changing climate, there would be changes to monarch butterfly phenology and their migration patterns. We predicted that if monarch butterflies are responding to a warmer climate by migrating later, then there would be a later decline in the number of sightings. The data we observed does support our hypothesis. Using iNaturalist data, we observed that most sightings of monarch butterflies were recorded in August. Furthermore, through this study, we’ve determined that citizen data is useful and can lead to significant findings.
