Butterflies heading north
Scientists, naturalists join forces to reveal populations at
risk
The authors of a Harvard study published today in Nature
Climate Change gathered their data from an unlikely source — the trip accounts
of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club. During the past 19 years, the amateur
naturalist group has logged species counts on nearly 20,000 expeditions
throughout Massachusetts. Their records fill a crucial gap in the scientific
record.
Once analyzed, the data show a clear trend. “Over the past
19 years, a warming climate has been reshaping Massachusetts butterfly
communities,” notes Greg Breed, lead author on the study and a postdoctoral
fellow at the Harvard Forest in Petersham.