Impending insect apocalypse threatens human health and well-being

FIREPAW

The results of a new scientific study indicate that extreme land use combined with warming temperatures are pushing insect ecosystems toward collapse in some parts of the world. The study demonstrated a clear and alarming link between the climate crisis and high-intensity agriculture* and showed that in places where those impacts are particularly high, insect abundance has already dropped by nearly 50%, while the number of species has been slashed by 27%. Why should you care? Well, given the important role of insects in local ecosystems, pollination and food production, losing insects threatens human health and food security.

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“Three quarters of our crops depend on insect pollinators.  Crops will begin to fail. We won’t have things like strawberries.  We can’t feed 7.5 billion people without insects.”
-Dr. Dave Goulson, professor of biology, University of Sussex in the UK
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Study overview
 
Researchers analyzed data from a 20-year period for more than 6,000 locations and studied nearly 18,000 insect species, including butterflies, moths, dragonflies, grasshoppers and bees.
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They concluded that in areas with low-intensity agriculture, less climate warming, and a nearby natural habitat, insects only declined by 7%, compared to the 63% decrease in areas with less natural habitat cover. Many insects rely on plants for shade during sweltering days — the loss of nearby natural habitats could leave them more exposed and vulnerable to warming temperatures. And as climate change advances, scientists say these natural buffers may become less effective.
 
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What can you do?
 
Scientists say there are important changes we can do at the individual level to help stave off this crisis: (1) planting more native species and wildflowers, (2) reducing pesticides used in gardens, and (3) limiting the frequency of lawn mowing.
 
 
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*Researchers defined high-intensity agriculture as the kind characterized by the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, low crop diversity, large field size or high livestock density, among other things — all of which are relatively common features of modern-day farming.
 

 
Journal reference: Outhwaite, C.L., McCann, P. & Newbold, T. Agriculture and climate change are reshaping insect biodiversity worldwide. Nature (2022).  PDF of study
 

source

Mark

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