4 ms·
>Recent reports of dramatic declines in insect abundance suggest grave consequences for global ecosystems and human society. Most evidence comes from Europe, ho
by hguant 6y ago
>Recent reports of dramatic declines in insect abundance suggest grave consequences for global ecosystems and human society. Most evidence comes from Europe, however, leaving uncertainty about insect population trends worldwide.
This makes me wonder how much of the decline in Europe is due to the ecological side effects of two highly destructive world wars. Mechanized, combined arms combat moves a lot of dirt around, via explosions, and tracked vehicles ripping up the soil, which would kill or disrupt a lot of insect's breeding/eggs. Large swaths of mainland Europe were carpet bombed, or subject to intense artillery fire. Additionally, after the war, reconstruction efforts would have disturbed even more soil and insect habit, coupled with the Green Revolution's increase in fertilizers, pesticides, etc.
If the insect population in Europe was previously devastated, or diminished by physical upheaval, then it wouldn't surprise me that the population as a whole hasn't recovered from, and is still losing ground to, the more pervasive insecticide and manufactured pollutants (ie all the plastic derivatives, BPAs, etc) that have become part of our environment.
- MiroF 6y agoAt least in many of the European studies I've seen, the numbers point to a 75% decline in flying insect mass over the past 30 years. Certainly a whole lot of the loss has at least been in the post-war period.
- dmix 6y agoIsn’t Europe making much greater use of their land than in most other continents? With larger populations in smaller countries geographically. Wide swaths of the US (particularly in the west) and the vast majority of Canada are relatively untouched.
- dakna 6y agoMost studies I read about the decline in insect population in Europe compared to a baseline from around 30 years ago. Here is one source (written in English) about areas in Germany: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185809 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal...
- AMerrit 6y agoWhile the world wars certainly would have had some impact, most of the current studies are comparing current populations to what was around in the 80's/90's. This one for example covers 1989-2017: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185809 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal...
- mc32 6y agoI don’t think tilling of the soil type disruption has any lasting effect. Bugs and such things breed in massive and exponential quantities till they reach equilibrium. But food would be a limiting factor as well as chemicals could be a factor. Ripping up soil would be a temporary setback (of a few years).