They’re small in scale but huge in consequence.

Insects and the critical role they play in biodiversity are often overlooked when climate change is discussed.

But a team of ecological researchers are hoping to change that.

“If you’re thinking about biodiversity, often what comes to mind are mammals or birds, but in the functioning of an ecosystem, insects are a major component of that,” Griffith University Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Louise Ashton said.

Griffith University climate change research in Lamington National Park studies impact on insects

roughbarked said:

They’re small in scale but huge in consequence.

Insects and the critical role they play in biodiversity are often overlooked when climate change is discussed.

But a team of ecological researchers are hoping to change that.

“If you’re thinking about biodiversity, often what comes to mind are mammals or birds, but in the functioning of an ecosystem, insects are a major component of that,” Griffith University Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Louise Ashton said.

Griffith University climate change research in Lamington National Park studies impact on insects

Today I got thoroughly bitten by mosquitos.

Today I also ejected an earwig from my puzzle book for the third time in as many days.

As for climate change, more atmospheric co2 means faster plant growth means more food for insects. And the higher rainfall rate doesn’t hurt insects either.

I got bit by an ant.. a red ant

RED ANT RED ANT

The mossies are so thick that they blacken the sky.
Not so thick as they are down in the swamp where my father said the red tractor he parked the night before appeared black as he approached it in the morning. The nearer he got the tractor became red again and he was black.
Seriously though, there aren’t so many christmas beetles or Bogong moths as there used to be.

roughbarked said:

They’re small in scale but huge in consequence.

Insects and the critical role they play in biodiversity are often overlooked when climate change is discussed.

But a team of ecological researchers are hoping to change that.

“If you’re thinking about biodiversity, often what comes to mind are mammals or birds, but in the functioning of an ecosystem, insects are a major component of that,” Griffith University Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Louise Ashton said.

Griffith University climate change research in Lamington National Park studies impact on insects

worse case scenario
when the bees don’t emerge exactly when needed to pollinate the fruit blossoms
dead starving bees / unpollinated orchards

If you think people are whinging about high food prices now…
…wait ‘til pollination has to be accomplished solely by hand.

Ogmog said:

roughbarked said:

They’re small in scale but huge in consequence.

Insects and the critical role they play in biodiversity are often overlooked when climate change is discussed.

But a team of ecological researchers are hoping to change that.

“If you’re thinking about biodiversity, often what comes to mind are mammals or birds, but in the functioning of an ecosystem, insects are a major component of that,” Griffith University Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Louise Ashton said.

Griffith University climate change research in Lamington National Park studies impact on insects

worse case scenario
when the bees don’t emerge exactly when needed to pollinate the fruit blossoms
dead starving bees / unpollinated orchards

If you think people are whinging about high food prices now…
…wait ‘til pollination has to be accomplished solely by hand.

Tomato growers are beginning to use drones to pollinate the glasshouse tomatoes.

In Australia we have many native bee species and iin all likelyhood place too much emphasis on the introduced bees.
With 1600 species described and an estimated 2000 species yet to be described, it is most likely that many will have disappeared before being described. As by replacing native flowers with those introduced flowers we are essentially creating deserts for our native bees. From my observations in my own backyard, almonds and all the Prunus family have no problem being pollinated by native bees, if the native bees are present. All that is required is to have native plants around and there will be native bees.
Of course the problem with that is that we have been going hammer and tongs at removing native plants and replacing them with introduced species for a couple of centuries.

it is the temperature and timing that concerns me

Ogmog said:

it is the temperature and timing that concerns me

It worries everything from the insects to the forest.