(ORDO NEWS) — Global climate change affects insect populations. German scientists have found that butterflies and grasshoppers have decreased by 41%, and dragonflies, on the contrary, have increased by 52%. All terrestrial terrestrial ecosystems are being restructured, and the main factor is human influence.
The climate is noticeable when it worsens
Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) studied population changes in about 200 European insects over the past 40 years.
Conclusion: the number of approximately 30% of the populations has increased due to a significant transformation of the global climate. On the other hand, there are fewer butterflies, wild and domestic bees.
Over the past six years, the number of, for example, wild bees has decreased by a third, and the population of domestic individuals has halved (in North America).
Who is more and who is less
The study covered 200 species of insects, dominated by three species of invertebrates: Lepidoptera (butterflies), Orthoptera (grasshoppers) and dragonflies.
So, scientists found that the range and abundance of habitats of 30% of those 200 species increased, the population size decreased in 37%. Another 33% did not react or had already adjusted to the new temperatures.
The population of grasshoppers and butterflies decreased the most – by 41%: those who were adapted to a cold climate turned out to be the worst.
But the number of dragonflies increased by 52%, which is associated with the thermophilicity of this species. The authors of the study associated such an increase or decrease in populations with human impact on the environment.
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