A new review paper finds that climate change is pounding insects in a wide variety of ways all over the world.Because insects are so sensitive to temperature change, climate change is impacting them directly, including potentially decreasing their ability to breed.But climate change is also causing insects to change their behavior as it shifts seasonal beginnings and ends, risking that insects will act out of sync with the rest of the environment on which they depend. Climate change-intensified drought, extreme precipitation, lengthening heat waves, and fires are also harming insects.The best way to protect insects? Combat climate change and safeguard micro-habitats. What threatened animals do you think of when you see the words “climate change”? Polar bears, corals, sea turtles, or maybe pikas? All accurate. But you probably don’t think “insects.” Well, maybe you think “monarch butterflies,” but insects — as a whole? Now scientists are saying it may be time for us to update our climate change posterchild list.
A new 37-page review paper with 80 co-authors in the journal Ecological Monograph finds that climate change is already pounding insects the world over in a huge variety of ways — and a bug’s life will only get harder as the world warms, the researchers say.
“The potential implications for nature and humanity are enormous and frightening,” explains lead author Jeffrey Harvey, a biologist …
Climate change is hammering insects — in the tropics and everywhere else: Scientists – Mongabay.com
