Conservation of declining migratory animals: An interdisciplinary analysis of biology, sociology, and policy

Migratory animals are imperiled worldwide. Because they cross geopolitical boundaries and rely on diverse habitats and resources, conserving migratory populations presents many challenges. We assess conservation policy for migratory animals and identify multiple scales at which analysis and action are needed: 1) local- and landscape-scale conservation policy based on the movement and habitat requirements of species, 2) targeted mitigation of anthropogenic stressors that impact multiple species and contribute to regional environmental degradation, and 3) a critical dialog about the role of societal economic growth and material consumption on the grand conservation challenges. Our arguments are illustrated through the case of monarch butterflies and generalized to diverse migratory animals. To be effective, international law and policy efforts must be binding within countries, address broad-scale drivers of environmental degradation, and target interventions based on developments in the science of migratory connectivity that span periods of breeding, migration, and overwintering.