The Vanishing — Insect Extinction Is Another Canary in the Coal Mine by Dr. Mercola
The Vanishing — Insect Extinction Is Another Canary in the Coal Mine
October 31, 2017 • 24,452views
Story at-a-glance
A 76 percent decline in flying insects was revealed over a period of 27 years in Germany
The
researchers observed insects in nature preserves that are meant to
protect ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, making the decline even
more alarming
Ninety-four
percent of the protected areas included in the study were enclosed by
agricultural areas, and increasing use of pesticides was named as a
possible cause for the decline
It’s estimated that 80 percent of wild plants depend on insects for pollination, and 60 percent of birds depend on them for food
By Dr. Mercola
If you've ever gone on a road trip, you probably have distinct
memories of bugs flying at, and smashing on, your windshield — along
with the inevitable cleanup the mess necessitated afterward. If you
think about it for a minute, though, you may realize that it's been
awhile since your windshield was covered with insects.
This may initially seem like a good thing, but this occurrence, dubbed the "windshield phenomenon" by entomologists,1 is an ominous warning — a canary in the coalmine that the environment is in grave danger.
"I'm a very data-driven person," Scott Black, executive director of
the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Oregon,
told Science. "But it is a visceral reaction when you realize you don't
see that mess anymore."2 It's also not all in your head. Insects are vanishing right before our eyes, at a rate that's at once sobering and alarming.
Seventy-Six Percent of Flying Insects Have Disappeared in the Last 27 Years
Declines in certain insect groups like bees, butterflies and even
moths have been apparent for some time, according to researchers of a
recent study published in PLOS One.3
However, their study looked at total flying insect biomass over a
period of 27 years in 63 protected areas in Germany to assess the bigger
picture. Using malaise traps, which are large, tent-like traps used for
catching flying insects, the researchers set out to estimate trends in
the number of flying insects in the region between 1989 and 2016.
A 76 percent decline was revealed, seasonally, while a midsummer
decline of 82 percent in flying insect biomass was also recorded. The
declines occurred regardless of habitat type and could not be explained
solely by changes in weather, land use or varying habitat
characteristics. The researchers noted:4
"Loss of insect diversity and abundance is expected to provoke
cascading effects on food webs and to jeopardize ecosystem services …
This yet unrecognized loss of insect biomass must be taken into account
in evaluating declines in abundance of species depending on insects as a
food source, and ecosystem functioning … "
The ramifications of disappearing insects should not be taken
lightly. It's estimated that 80 percent of wild plants depend on insects
for pollination, and 60 percent of birds depend on them for food.
Further, the "ecosystem services" provided by insects as a whole is
estimated at $57 billion annually in the U.S. alone, the researchers
noted, so "[c]learly, preserving insect abundance and diversity should
constitute a prime conservation priority."5
While increasing attention has been given to declines in bees and
butterflies, the data suggest that "it is not only the vulnerable
species, but the flying insect community as a whole, that has been
decimated over the last few decades."
The researchers described the significant decline as "alarming," made
even more so because the traps were placed in nature preserves that are
meant to protect ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Still, nearly
all (94 percent) of the protected areas included in the study were
enclosed by agricultural areas, giving clues as to why so many insects
may be disappearing.
'Agricultural Intensification' May Be Killing Off Insects at an Alarming Rate
After observing the massive decline in flying insects in under 30
years, the researchers then began looking into potential driving
mechanisms. Landscape and climate changes were not strongly associated
with the declines, according to their analysis, so they suggested other
"large-scale factors," like agricultural intensification, may be
involved:6
"Agricultural intensification (e.g., pesticide usage, year-round
tillage, increased use of fertilizers and frequency of agronomic
measures) that we could not incorporate in our analyses, may form a
plausible cause … Part of the explanation could therefore be that the
protected areas (serving as insect sources) are affected and drained by
the agricultural fields in the broader surroundings (serving as sinks or
even as ecological traps).
Increased agricultural intensification may have aggravated this
reduction in insect abundance in the protected areas over the last few
decades … Agricultural intensification, including the disappearance of
field margins and new crop protection methods has been associated with
an overall decline of biodiversity in plants, insects, birds and other
species in the current landscape."
Indeed, while the observational study wasn't set up to determine
causes for the insect decline, the increasing use of agricultural
chemicals is a prime suspect, one that's been implicated in insect
losses before. For instance, numbers of Monarch butterflies
have decreased by 90 percent since 1996. As usage of glyphosate (the
active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide) has skyrocketed,
milkweed, which is the only plant on which the adult monarch will lay
its eggs, has plummeted.
In 2013, it was estimated that just 1 percent of the common milkweed
present in 1999 remained in corn and soybean fields and, tragically,
while milkweed is not harmed by many herbicides, it is easily killed by
glyphosate.7
A 2017 study published in the journal Ecography further noted a strong
connection between large-scale Monarch deaths and glyphosate
application.8,9
Neonicotinoid Pesticides Implicated in Bee, Butterfly and Predatory Insect Declines
Neonicotinoid pesticides, which are widely used in intensive
agricultural operations, have been implicated in the decline of bees,
particularly in commercially bred species like honeybees and bumblebees,
although wild foraging bees may be negatively affected also.10 Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides on the planet.
As systemic pesticides, the chemicals are typically applied to seeds
before they're planted, then taken up by plants as they grow,
contaminating flowers, nectar and pollen. "Neonicotinoids are suspected
to pose an unacceptable risk to bees, partly because of their systemic
uptake in plants, and the European Union has therefore introduced a
moratorium on three neonicotinoids as seed coatings in flowering crops
that attract bees," a study published in Nature revealed in 2015.11
Separate research published in the journal Nature also suggests that
combined exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides and parasites may alter
queen bees' physiology and survival, thereby potentially destroying the
whole hive.12 Butterflies are also being affected.
Researchers from the University of Nevada tracked 67 butterfly species at four locations for at least 20 years.13
At each site, declines in the number of butterfly species were most
closely linked to increased used of neonicotinoids, even more so than
other potential factors in butterfly declines, like land development.14
Applying the chemicals to plant seeds, rather than spraying them
across a field, was supposed to reduce the effects on nontarget insects,
but research published in PeerJ found both types of insecticides are
equally damaging.15
The study revealed that the use of neonicotinoid insecticides in North
American and European farming systems led to a 10 percent to 20 percent
decline in predatory insects like tiger beetles, which is similar to
those caused by "broadcast applications" of pyrethroid insecticides.
Like pollinators, predatory insects also have an important role in
the ecosystem, contributing "billions of dollars a year to agriculture
through the elimination of crop pest insects," study author Margaret
Douglas, postdoctoral researcher in entomology, Penn State, said in a
news release.16
Another predatory insect, parasitoid wasps, are also at risk from the
chemicals. Research revealed that exposure to just 1 nanogram of the
neonicotinoid imidacloproid, while not enough to kill the insect,
reduced mating rates by up to 80 percent, which is essentially the same
thing on a specieswide level.17
What Happens If Honey Bees, Other Flying Insects Disappear?
It's extremely important that steps are taken to protect bees,
butterflies and other pollinators. These creatures are necessary to help
80 percent of flowering plants reproduce and are involved in the
production of 1 out of every 3 bites of food. A sampling of the produce
that would disappear without bees is below.18
There are ramifications beyond pollinators as well. Scott Black,
executive director of the Portland, Oregon-based environmental group
Xerces Society, told The Washington Post, "If you like to eat nutritious
fruits and vegetables, you should thank an insect. If you like salmon,
you can thank a tiny fly that the salmon eat when they're young … The
whole fabric of our planet is built on plants and insects and the
relationship between the two."19
Reducing Pesticide Usage Is Key
The application of chemicals in agriculture is now so commonplace
that it seems necessary, but pesticide usage can be cut — without
harming yields. According to an investigation by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), treating soybean seeds with neonicotinoids
provides no significant financial or agricultural benefits for farmers.20
The researchers also noted there are several other foliar insecticides
available that can combat pests as effectively as neonicotinoid seed
treatments, with fewer risks.
Other studies suggest reducing the use of pesticides may actually reduce crop losses.21 The reason for this is because neonic-coated seeds harm beneficial insects that help kill pests naturally,22
thereby making any infestation far worse than it needs to be. According
to other research, ecologically-based farming that helps kill soybean
aphids without pesticides could save farmers in four states (Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin) nearly $240 million in losses each
year.23
There's much work to be done, as despite such findings, farmers have very limited ability to avoid neonic-treated seeds.
Still, positive changes are being made by some farmers. John Tooker,
associate professor of entomology, Penn State, who was involved in the
study that found neonicotinoids are harming predatory insects, noted
that the use of integrated pest management (IPM) is also essential.
A 2015 study found that IPM techniques reduced pesticide use while
boosting crop yields in a meta-analysis of 85 sites in 24 countries.24
Some were even able to eliminate pesticide use entirely using
techniques such as crop rotation and pheromone traps to capture insect
pests. Tooker said in a news release:25
"Substantial research exists supporting the value of IPM for pest
control … It is the best chance we have of conserving beneficial insect
species while maintaining productivity in our agricultural systems."
Restoring Prairies, Choosing Grass Fed Is Essential for Biodiversity, Protecting Insect Populations
It's now common knowledge that deforestation leading to the tragic
loss of vast swatches of rainforest is devastating the environment.
Lesser known is the fact that U.S. prairies are equally as diverse and important to the ecosystem as rainforests; they're also similarly threatened.
Since the early 1800s, grasslands in North America have decreased by 79 percent — and in some areas by 99.9 percent,26
largely to plant vast swatches of chemically intensive genetically
engineered (GE) corn and soy. A report by the U.S. Geological Survey
explained, in part, why this is so tragic:27
"Grasslands rank among the most biologically productive of all
communities. Their high productivity stems from high retention of
nutrients, efficient biological recycling, and a structure that provides
for a vast array of animal and plant life …
Grasslands also contribute immense value to watersheds and
provide forage and habitat for large numbers of domestic and wild
animals. Nevertheless, current levels of erosion in North America exceed
the prairie soil's capacity to tolerate sediment and nutrient loss,
thus threatening a resource essential to sustain future generations."
Unfortunately, a two-crop planting cycle
of GE corn and soybeans, along with CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding
operations) that raise one type of meat, has become the dominant model
in the Midwest, thanks to the federal farm policy that subsidizes these
crops, with devastating consequences to human health and the
environment. Choosing grass fed products like grass fed beef and bison over those raised in CAFOs is a solution that we can all take part in.
Consumer demand for more humane, environmentally friendly grass fed
beef is prompting some farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture
techniques. In the Midwest, farmers are slowly adopting the use of cover
crops and no-till farming, which improves soil health and reduces the
need for chemical fertilizers and herbicides, benefiting insects. This
is why sourcing your foods from a local farmer is one of your best bets
to ensure you're getting something wholesome while also supporting
biodiversity on the planet.
And, you'll be supporting the small farms — not the mega-farming
corporations — in your area. Ideally, support farmers who are using
diverse cropping methods, such as planting of cover crops, raising
animals on pasture and other methods of regenerative agriculture that
protect beneficial insects. In addition, take steps to make your own
backyard friendlier to your insect friends, by eliminating the use of
pesticides and other chemicals and planting a diverse variety of native
flowers and other plants.
No comments:
Post a Comment