User:RM395/Course/Manypedia/Monarch butterfly

--Brodmont (talk) 03:03, 25 March 2013 (UTC)

I've been comparing articles between English and Spanish, as I understand Spanish well and can compare text without needing a machine translation. In the case of the Monarch butterfly ([Mariposa monarcha)], I thought it would be interesting to see whether the two languages reflect any differences in point of view around the preservation of the Monarch and its habitat.

The English article is considerable longer (6,100 words) than the Spanish (2,400 words), more than twice as long. The greater length and detail are reflected in the respective tables of contents. The English TOC has more than twice as many items and devotes sections to topics that are not included in the Spanish article, at least as headings, such as range and distribution, habitat, adult food sources, reproduction, host plants, genome, and relationship with humans. The English article lists 63 references, the Spanish only 25.

The English article on the Monarch is noteworthy for its greater discussion of threats to the species. Some of these threats are natural -- predators and parasites. But even human-caused environmental threats are treated in more detail in the English article. Both articles admit that deforestation has led to "a drastic reduction in the butterfly's population," "una drástica reducción en la población de mariposas." However, the English version gives more specifics, mentioning that the butterfly's summer layover in central Mexico used to covered 50 acres and is now only 3 acres. Populations, says the English version, "have crashed" in the past two decades and are even down 59 percent just since 2011. The Spanish article omits these disturbing details. An observer with a critical eye might think that Spanish editors are more reluctant to criticize Mexican policy that is allowing the deforestation to continue.

Both articles mention preliminary evidence that genetically-modified crops might be contributing to declining Monarch populations. But again, the English article goes into more detail.

One subject that is covered extensively in Spanish but wholly omitted in English is a yearly carnaval that is held in Ocampo Michoacan, where the Monarch sanctuary is. This is an important destination for eco-tourism in Mexico, so it is understandable that Spanish editors would want to give this event some prominence in the article.

--Brodmont (talk) 03:03, 25 March 2013 (UTC)