Recent research paints a grim picture of tropical insect extinction rates, and especially the adverse effect of climate-driven El Niño events. The scientific consensus has been widely reported that insects are the planet’s most essential animals. Almost all of them now are experiencing disastrous declines, particularly so in tropical Asia. These results show that our current climate crisis fuels these disasters. In response, we are experiencing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity along with the essential ecological services that insects contribute.
The most severe declines have been seen in insect rarities, whose numbers temporarily crash during El Niño years by mere coincidence. Butterflies, beetles, and true bugs are experiencing some of the most dramatic declines in insect populations. True bugs, or stink bugs, are in the order Hemiptera and are distinguished by two pairs of wings and “piercing-sucking” mouthparts that allow them to effectively siphon plants. This finding is promising for the organisms themselves, but it is worrying from the perspective of ecosystems dependent on these organisms to perform key ecological functions.
The Role of Insects in Ecosystems
Insects are the most important group of organisms on the planet, according to Earth’s most prestigious life scientist. They’re important pollinators, decomposers, and players in soil health. The loss of insect populations is warning us of impacts on food chains and ecosystem integrity. Climate connections Hot and dry In tropical regions, El Niño events make hot, dry conditions more likely. Climate change impacts like these extreme weather patterns are directly linked to rapid, dramatic declines in insect biodiversity.
Fortunately, scientific studies have long established that insect populations typically bounce back during La Niña years, a climatic phase often associated with increased rainfall. Unfortunately, the recovery process of these reefs is reversible. The growing frequency and intensity of El Niño events driven by climate change could increasingly set these uplifting reefs back. During El Niño events, climate change is expected to lower the diversity of tropical insects. This doubles down on a very irritating and damaging cycle that tears into the insects and their ecosystems that we are only just starting to understand.
Impacts of Climate Change on Insect Populations
Climate change is perhaps the most important stressor on the list perpetuating the global-scale crash in insect populations. Unlike in the past when such strong El Niño’s happened, today’s global atmosphere is quite different due to climate change. These changes affect the various insect species individually. Because of this, the time spent munching on living leaves has dramatically dropped over the last few decades.
Studies conducted in relatively pristine tropical forests reveal that even these environments are not immune to the effects of climate change. A recent analysis of 80 previously conducted studies on insect populations shows that the decline is widespread across different environments. As these populations decline, the ecological services that insects provide—like pollination, decomposition, and nutrient cycling—are in peril, too.
The Future of Tropical Insects
Climate change is making El Niño events more frequent and intense. As a consequence, the fate of tropical insects remains unknown. Given the existential ecological dangers of declining insect populations, it’s shocking that has been allowed to happen. At worst, they may cause biodiversity loss, threaten food security, and even disrupt whole ecosystems. Insects form the base of many food chains and support tons of agricultural practices. Human well-being would be severely affected by their loss.
Conservation efforts will need to prioritize an understanding of the complex interactions between climate change and insect populations. Scalable strategies to reduce climate change impacts and protect at-risk species will be critical to saving biodiversity. In addition, building a national understanding of why insects matter is key to developing the public and political support needed for insect conservation efforts.