Butterfly / urbanism

The charismatic Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is the most iconic migratory butterfly in North America. It is also a susceptible keystone species because of the monotonous host plant on which its larvae depend—namely, milkweed. In fact, the loss of breeding habitat in the US, due to the use of herbicides and urban sprawl, together with the loss of overwintering habitat in Mexico, has caused the Eastern Monarch population to decrease dramatically during the past two decades. Butterfly/Urbanism proposes to enhance Monarch butterfly habitats through a new approach to agricultural economy, as well as through strategic urban design. In order to integrate Monarch butterfly habitat with a new type of urbanism, three aspects are involved: ecological design, unconventional agriculture, and socio-economic design. Monarch butterfly migration is a dynamic flow that can elicit economic opportunities in the territories where they stopover. By strategically planting milkweeds and nectar plants, this project both controls the Monarch butterfly migration route by manipulating proximity to habitats and catalyzes a food chain. Resulting opportunities for milkweed and insect-based economies piggyback on the existing economic system and topology formed by facilities and infrastructures. One general objective of this project is to evolve the ecological planning method outlined a half-century ago by Ian McHarg. His methodology precisely identifies the most appropriate places for different use with the fewest environmental impacts. However, McHarg’s way of seeing economic development as inevitably antagonist to the environment precludes possible alternatives which utilize economic activities as a support to natural ecosystems. This project presents a way to transform the impacts of human economy from ecological hindrance to ecological support. By synthesizing ecological function, economic incentive, and design culture, the symbiotic relationship between Monarch migration and economic activities shifts from parasitism to mutualism, eventually reaching the goal of sustainable Monarch butterfly conservation.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.L.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2018

Author dc:creator

• Wang, Zoey Tsu-En

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hays, David Lyle
• O'Shea, Conor Edward
• Kraszewska, Katherine Therese

• Monarch Butterfly
• Danaus Plexippus
• Urbanism
• Urban ecology
• Pollinator habitat
• Conservation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2017 Zoey Tsu-En Wang

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/99137

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/99137