Did warmer climate increase insect numbers?
YET ANOTHER consequence of global warming seems to be emerging. It is the rise in insect populations in response to warmer temperatures. While this may be welcome in the case of say, butterflies, can we say the same about mosquitoes?
It is an established fact that insects are highly adaptable organisms and through evolution, have adjusted to a variety of temperatures and environments.
It appears that insect species that adapt to warmer climates also will increase their maximum rates of population growth, which University of Washington researchers say is likely to have widespread affects on agriculture, public health and conservation, according to a University of Washington press release.
Ecological effects
It has been shown by many studies that insects readily adapt to the temperature of their environment. The findings of research by Melanie Frazier a UW biology doctoral student and colleagues, suggest that evolutionary adaptation to climate warming will have profound ecological effects because rates of population growth eventually will alter entire ecosystems.
Key ecosystem characteristics such as species diversity and food webs are very sensitive to the population growth rates of the species living and interacting in those ecosystems. Biochemical adaptation to warmer temperature is not the only possible insect response to climate warming, notes Frazier.
Extinction possible
Some species might evade warmer temperatures by moving to cooler habitats, or they might alter their seasonal activity patterns. Others might not be able to adapt adequately and could become extinct. — Our Bureau
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Sci Tech
