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> The invertebrates that live there, likewise, are adapted to these temperatures and fare poorly outside them; bugs cannot regulate their internal heat. This m
by cmpaul 8y ago
> The invertebrates that live there, likewise, are adapted to these temperatures and fare poorly outside them; bugs cannot regulate their internal heat.
This makes me think that the insects which do survive will be better adapted to the higher temperatures. Hopefully the change is slow enough they have time to adapt. And this is nothing to say about the impact of that adaptation time on other species...
- GlenTheMachine 8y agoProblem is the temperature keeps changing (upwards). If it was a step input, then you might see a sudden die-off and then a ramp back up. But the temperature change is, to first order, a ramp input.
- Dylan16807 8y agoProblem? Slow ramps are the ideal way to drive adaptation. That's why finishing a course of antibiotics is so important.
- GlenTheMachine 8y agoThis isn't slow, by evolutionary standards. The bugs are trying to adapt to a changing, rapidly increasing temperature.
- Dylan16807 8y agoI'm willing to bet that the necessary genes already exist in the population, since the bugs already handle daily temperature swings that are much larger than the increases from climate change. Given that, a few dozen generations is plenty. And insect generations are for the most part quite short.
- GlenTheMachine 8y agoThen why are the insects all dying? If this is true, the populations should be rebounding. They aren't.
- Dylan16807 8y agoBecause it's still a bad effect that takes time to adjust to. And there might be other factors.
- GlenTheMachine 8y agoIt has, apparently, been going on for a couple of decades now. As you correctly point out, this constitutes many insect generations. If this were simple case of letting pre-existing genetic variations that are robust to temperature get selected for, we would be seeing populations rebound. And it seems most of the other factors, besides climate, have been accounted for. The losses here are in large nature preserves, where insecticides and herbicides are not used. And in the case of Puerto Rico, at least, pesticide use island-wide has dropped dramatically since the 1960s. So one would not expect the results of pesticide use on insect populations to only be manifesting themselves now. Other than climate, most other factors seem to have changed in the insects' favor. Yes, neonicotinoids are an issue, but a relatively local one. One would not expect them to be an issue deep inside a Puerto Rican rainforest nature preserve.
- pvaldes 8y agoArthropods can trive in the worst deserts of the planet. They just will hide by day, will migrate or look for shadowy areas. On the other hand is practically impossible to obtain funds for saving the rarest species. There is an everlasting pressure to trim and chew the borders of the protected areas.