CLIMATE CHANGE -- No one is indeed safe from the harsh effects of the ever-changing climate conditions. Scientists are now predicting that insects have nowhere else to go due to the massive disturbance in the last 50 years Planet Earth have to go through.
Woodlands used to be a safe haven for insects as the shade provides them the shelter to keep cool during the summer heat. However, scientists have found that woodlands have been greatly impacted by climate change, and it is affecting lives in grasslands.
The research conducted included the observation and collection of records of the springtime flights of various insects including butterflies, aphids, and moths between the period of 1965-2012. As the temperatures rise, aphids were bound to emerge a month earlier and the birds lay their eggs a week earlier than the usual. Animals are becoming "out of sync" with the emergence of their prey. Although the changes seem small, it can potentially have serious effects on the overall process in the ecosystem.
Several researchers have expressed their concern as there is a significant drop in the population of most insects. Though very tiny and at times a nuisance, these insects play a vital role in keeping the balance in the ecosystem. In February of this year, scientists considered the falling in the number of insects as something "catastrophic; to the natural ecosystem. In March, further evidence has surfaced as the pollinating insects seemed to have disappeared during the time when it was best to grow new plants.
Studies have been conducted in Puerto Rico and Germany and they all point to the same conclusion. And that is the number of insects has fallen in the last 20-30 years. In the Netherlands alone, a report suggests that more than 80% of the expected butterfly population to help in the pollination process have disappeared in the last 130 years.
"Despite the changes that come with global warming, woodlands are expected to provide some protection for the insects, a seeming buffer to the change in climate. But there is nothing like it," said James Bell, lead researcher for the woodlands project in UK.
Not only insects were affected but birds are equally the victim to the global crisis. The birds are starting to emerge in areas a month earlier than expected for a feed. Although scientist thinks that such situations may have been led by varying factors, global change has made these changes possible.
The changing times and conditions may not have been favorable for the survival of insects. And no matter how small these creatures may be, they play a huge role in keeping the balance in the ecosystem. The effects of their habitat and lifestyle should still remain to be another reason why people should do something to combat climate change.
