This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing.
You or someone in your family is bound to be afraid or creeped out by bugs. Don’t you sometime wish we didn’t have to deal with mosquitos, spiders and cockroaches? There are more insects than all the fish in the oceans and the livestock on land. They outnumber us by a factor of 17. Whether you’re a fan of insects or not, they play a critical role in our ecosystem.
According to a report in the Biological Conservation, 40 percent of all insect species may be endangered over the next several decades. About 41 percent of all insect species have seen population declines in the past decade. The researchers indicate that we are witnessing the largest insect extinction event on Earth since the late Permian and Cretaceous periods. Studies suggest that the causes of insect declines are not tied to particular habitats but affect common traits shared among all insects. The researchers attribute this to habitat loss as a result of human development, deforestation and expansion of agriculture; pollution from pesticides, fertilizers and industrial wastes; parasites and pathogens; and climate change.
Why are insects so important? Researchers warn that the loss of insects have a catastrophic impact on our planet as insects are the foundational base of many of the world’s ecosystems. When insects go extinct, other species soon follow. It begins to jeopardize the entire food supply.
Stay tuned next time to find out why your favorite beer might be in jeopardy.
