Monarch butterfly populations decline by 86 percent in a year

The transcript discusses the significant decline in monarch butterfly populations in California, highlighting a drop from 148,000 in 2017 to 20,456 in a year. Research indicates a 72% risk of extinction in 20 years due to factors like habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Rising carbon dioxide levels may contaminate milkweed, the monarch caterpillar's sole food source, while increasing temperatures could alter migration routes and affect breeding areas.

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