A new cooperative agreement between the Butterfly Pavilion and the Bureau of Land Management aims to better understand the biodiversity and numbers of insects that live and pollinate on BLM-managed land in Colorado.
The project, according to a statement from the Butterfly Pavilion, is designed to further state-wide research and conservation efforts and improve understanding of pollinators and their associations with local vegetation.
The study, โSurvey of Colorado Diurnal Pollinators & Other Invertebrates on BLM Managed Land in Colorado,โ includes species of concern, such as monarch butterflies and the western bumble bee, which are under consideration for threatened or endangered status.
Earlier this month, entomologists and experts began field surveys across 48 land plots inside BLM COโs four largest watersheds, the Upper Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas-White-Red, and Missouri Rivers.
The sampled plots were selected to represent different ecosystems found throughout the state.
Rich Reading, Butterfly Pavilionโs vice president of science and conservation, expects the project to enhance invertebrate knowledge and lead to more effective conservation and education efforts across the state and beyond.
โSuch work is crucial because these small creatures comprise 97% of all animals, form the foundation of life on Earth, and are declining at alarming rates,โ he said.
Experts and conservation biologists believe invertebrate populations have declined by 45% over the past 40 years.
“Managing public lands to help protect invertebrate species is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health,โ BLM Colorado state botanist Carol Dawson, said.
When the project is complete, the Butterfly Pavilion will submit the data collected to BLM CO and a final report will be provided.
