<
https://theconversation.com/climate-fuelled-el-nino-events-are-devastating-butterflies-beetles-and-other-tropical-insects-262625>
"Insects are arguably the most important animals on the planet. Their variety
is unparalleled in nature, and they carry out vital tasks such as pollinating
plants and providing food for other animals.
But all is not well in the insect world. Research over the last few years has
shown sustained declines in insect species and numbers. It appeared Earth was
witnessing a global-scale crash in insects – and climate change was partly to
blame.
The evidence was mostly confined to temperate regions in the Northern
Hemisphere. But our new research – published today in
Nature – shows it’s
also happening in the tropics, where most of Earth’s species live.
We found significant biodiversity loss in spiders, as well as insects including
butterflies and beetles. The likely culprit is long-term changes to the El Niño
cycle, caused by climate change. It suggests the life-support system
underpinning the tropics is at serious risk in a warmer world."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
