‘Nature’s Alarm’ explores changing of Iowa’s landscape

The Gazette’s weekly series “Nature’s Alarm” is a timely wake-up call for all of us.

As the articles point out, Iowa’s landscape has been greatly altered over the last century, dramatically impacting the plants and animals of the state.

In addition to this loss of habitat, species now face the increased use of more powerful herbicides and pesticides. Consequently species are disappearing across the state.

We’ve all heard about the large decline in Monarchs. Other butterfly species in Iowa have disappeared entirely, or nearly so, in recent decades.

These include the Dakota Skipper, last seen in 1980, and the Common Ringlet, last seen in 2004.

Most depressing is the fate of the Poweshiek Skipperling, which was common at more than two dozen locations in Iowa in the early 1990s. As many as 150 individuals could be seen at Cayler Prairie State Preserve at one time, for instance. This butterfly has since vanished from every one of those sites.

Then there’s the Common Ringlet, last seen in 2004. Other butterfly species are in the same boat, with dramatic declines in numbers.

These butterfly declines and losses mirror the situation for countless other beneficial pollinator insects — insects that pollinate three-fourths of our flowers and one-third of our crops.

Frank Olsen

Cedar Rapids