Conserving Migratory Pollinators and Nectar Corridors in Western North America

The pollination of certain species of plants depends on mutually beneficial relationships with specific animals. White-winged doves, for example, are one of the most important pollinators of saguaro cacti. Monarch butterflies follow nectar trails north through plant communities in bloom, so any loss of wild habitat along their routes not only disrupts the migration essential to their life cycle, but also the healthy maintenance of plant communities farther along the course of their journeys. The vital connection between pollinators and the plants with which they are associated is essential to the health of ecosystems. This Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum book published by the University of Arizona Press discusses plant and pollinator partnerships focusing on the rufous hummingbird, the white-winged dove, the lesser long-nosed bat and the monarch butterfly as well as the floral corridors that depend on them.

For more information about how the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is at the forefront of pollinator studies, see ASDM's Migratory Pollinators Program. (DH)