Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Desert Southwest CESU

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The US Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner to conduct research on the spatially explicit modeling of the eastern monarch butterfly population to ascertain the likely effectiveness of restoration scenarios involving different parts of their migratory range. The goal of this research is to develop a spatially explicit, continental-scale restoration plan for monarch butterflies. The study has two main objectives: 1) apply the model to explore the relative effectiveness of different conservation/restoration scenarios; 2) utilize the modeling results together with geographic and economic information to develop a specific restoration plan that can be phased in over multiple years. This study will be conducted within the context of an interdisciplinary collaborative working group at the USGS Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis with the goal of developing an actionable restoration plan for monarch butterflies. The grant recipient is expected to be a full participant in the working group, will coordinate and lead the modeling component of the project, and will be responsible for writing at least one publication on the results.

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