Image: Elegance Nairobi
A James Cook University scientist says an emerging ‘insect apocalypse’ will have radical effects on the environment and drastically reduce the ability of humankind to build a sustainable future.
JCU’s Distinguished Professor William Laurance is co-author of a major international study on the future of insects under climate change scenarios.
He said the biosphere has already warmed by about 1.1° Celsius since industrialisation and is projected to warm a further two to five degrees by 2100 unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced.
“A growing body of evidence shows many populations of insects are declining rapidly in many places. These declines are of profound concern, with terms like an emerging ‘insect apocalypse’ being increasingly used by the media and even some scientists to describe this phenomenon,” said Professor Laurance.
He said insects are important parts of biodiversity and provide services to the wider environment such as pollination, pest control and nutrient recycling – beneficial to other higher-order creatures including humans.
“The loss of insects works its way up the food chain, and may already be playing an important role in the widespread decline of their consumers, such as insect-eating birds in temperate environments,” said Professor Laurance.
He said insects are among the most affected groups of animals from climate change, due to their generally small body size and because the vast majority of species can’t regulate their own body temperature, so are susceptible to changing temperature and moisture levels.
The study found habitat loss and fragmentation and isolation, chemical or organic pollution, invasive species and other human-caused changes to the environment are currently recognised as the main drivers of the decline of insects, with climate change amplifying the effects of the other threatening factors.
“If, as it seems, climate change is to continue unabated and with climatic extremes in particular posing an immediate, short-term threat to insects with long-term consequences for ecosystems, it’s essential to manage and restore habitats that make them as ‘climate-proof’ as possible and enable insects to find refuges in which they can ride out extreme climatic events,” said Professor Laurance.
He said at larger scales, corridors should be maintained that enable insects to disperse over time to more climatically suitable habitats.
“The evidence is clear and striking. We need to act now to minimise impacts on insect populations – we know how to do it, but the decision making and requisite funding keep getting pushed down the road.
“If instead we decided to conserve insect communities and restore the ecological balance in farming landscapes, human welfare could be improved and substantial downstream benefits could be reaped,” said Professor Laurance.
Original Article: Apocalypse soon – scientists warn of insect decline
More from: James Cook University
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Insect decline
- Learn about effects of insects on ecosystems, food at MCC program
Insects bite, sting, irritate, and can transmit disease — but they also pollinate flowers, contributing significantly to food production. Are they friends or foes? Join McHenry County College’s ...
- Insects and plants have a mutually beneficial relationship, says expert
Embracing insects in the garden can help support diverse ecosystems and maintain plant health.Chris Baraniuk reports for BBC.In short:The UK's Royal Horticultural Society explains that insects can ...
- Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
A recent scientific study published in the journal Nature has for the first time identified a clear and alarming link between the climate crisis and high-intensity agriculture and the worrying decline ...
- Bug splat survey shows decline in insect numbers
Conservation research data has revealed a "troubling" fall in insect numbers in Kent. The annual Bugs Matter survey recorded an 89% decline across the county over 20 years in the number of dead ...
- Study that asked people to count squashed bugs reveals worrying results
But they are in decline due to loss and damage of habitats, climate change, pollution and pesticide use – with growing evidence these have caused significant drops in insect numbers in the UK ...
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Insect apocalypse
- Afraid of Cicadas? This Entomologist Wants to Change That.
Sammy Ramsey, an entomologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, says he feels like these bugs get a bad rap. To combat that, he uploaded a silly, but surprisingly smooth, music video to YouTube ...
- Are we facing an insect apocalypse?
A recent scientific study published in the journal Nature has for the first time identified a clear and alarming link between the climate crisis and high-intensity agriculture and the worrying decline ...
- They’re Baaaack, and Looking for Love in a Tree Near You
Cicadas have captured the imagination for thousands of years with their strange, buggy beauty and swelling songs. Davidson College Professor of Biology Chris Paradise shares why this upcoming cicada ...
- Your yard can help avert the insect apocalypse. Here’s how.
Bees and the rest of class Insecta need you. Here’s how to build bug mansions on your balcony or in your backyard. The best part? The laziest gardeners make the best bug architects.
- Is nothing sacred? Now it turns out moths aren't always drawn to a flame
One theory is that this could be part of the “insect apocalypse” attributable to climate change. Another thought is that moths simply might not be as attracted to light as they once were.