Temperate insects as vulnerable to climate change as tropical species


Date:
June 8, 2020
Source:
Uppsala University
Summary:
In previous research, it has been assumed that insects in
temperate regions would cope well with or even benefit from a
warmer climate. Not so, according to researchers. The earlier
models failed to take into account the fact that insects in
temperate habitats are inactive for much of the year.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
In previous research, it has been assumed that insects in temperate
regions would cope well with or even benefit from a warmer climate. Not
so, according to researchers from the Universities of Uppsala and Lund
in Sweden and Oviedo, Spain, in a new study. The earlier models failed
to take into account the fact that insects in temperate habitats are
inactive for much of the year.


==========================================================================
The research group's study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, presents new knowledge about the potential effects of global warming on
insect populations. The results show that insects may be more threatened
by climate change than previous estimates have indicated.

"Insects in temperate zones might be as threatened by climate change as
those in the tropics," says Uppsala University professor Frank Johansson.

The researchers found new, disturbing patterns in a modified analysis
of a previously used dataset on insects' critical temperature limits and
their survival. Their conclusion is that temperate insects might be just
as sensitive to climate change as tropical ones. The previous studies
showed that tropical insects are severely threatened by climate change
since they already live very close to their optimal temperature and
"critical thermal maximum." However, the scientists responsible for
those previous studies also assumed that temperate insects live far
below their own optimal and maximum temperatures, and might therefore
benefit from climate change.

The problem is that the earlier studies used mean annual temperatures
for all their estimates. In so doing, they failed to consider that the
vast majority of insects in temperate latitudes remain inactive in cold
periods -- that is, for much of the year.

When more biological details about the various insect species, and only
the months in which the species are active, are entered in the models,
the new estimates show that in temperate insects' habitats, too, the temperatures are close to the insects' optimal and critical maximum. This
is because the average temperature for the months when the insects are
active clearly exceeds the mean year-round temperature. Temperate insects
are thus as vulnerable as tropical species to temperature increases When
the temperature is close to insects' optimal temperature or critical
upper limit, there is a great risk of their numbers declining. The
decreases in insect populations would also affect humans, since many
insect species provide ecosystem services, such as pollination of fruit, vegetables and other plants we eat.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Uppsala_University. Original written
by Linda Koffmar.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Frank Johansson, Germa'n Orizaola, Viktor Nilsson-O"rtman. Temperate
insects with narrow seasonal activity periods can be as vulnerable
to climate change as tropical insect species. Scientific Reports,
2020; 10 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65608-7 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200608122336.htm

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