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Insect Die-off: Even Common Species Are Becoming Rare (sciencedaily.com)
Scientists at Senckenberg Nature Research Society and Technical University of Munich (TUM) have been able to show that currently widespread insects are threatened with a serious decline in species diversity in the near future. From the report: The research team lists the fragmentation of habitats and the intensification of agriculture as reasons for the decline of these "generalists." According to the study, published today in the scientific journal Biological Conservation, the genetic diversity among the examined butterfly species is also expected to decline sharply in the future -- as a result, the insects will become more sensitive to environmental changes.
... what do you mean it's winter?
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
It's sad that it's happening to butterflies. However, I wouldn't be disappointed at all if it happened to the species of mosquitoes that bite humans. Too bad it seems to be happening to the wrong species.
If there are no more butterflies, what will real programmers use? :https://xkcd.com/378/
Since part of this is caused by an increase in agriculture, a big one is to eat less meat. This doesn't mean be a complete vegetarian, but just eat less meat and more non-meat options. The acreage used for meat as a food is much much higher than the same for most vegetarian options https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1097070.pdf and this also helps shrink one's carbon footprint http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/food-carbon-footprint-diet. Given that many meat substitutes are cheap, this can pay off nicely. Moreover, in the US now there are many more genuinely tasty vegetarian options than there used to be both in terms of store-bought items and in terms of available high quality recipes. I remember when I was a little kid and we went to my vegetarian aunt's for Thanksgiving, and it was awful. The situation now is very different.
Cut the trees down to make more space for these animals and then impose some CO2 tax. That'll work!
The top two organizational threats to life on the only planet known to inhabit it : Republicans and Monsanto. Does anyone else come close?
I've been smashing bugs my whole life.
Glad to see it's finally having an effect.
Nobody is listening. Nobody cares.
But aren't all scientists untrusworthy bastards part of a global conspiracy of evil to suck always more grant money from not-at-all-evil governements ?
If you don't trust scientists when they tell you that global warming is caused by human activity, or that diversity of life on earth is the product of evolution through natural selection, or that the universe is 15 billion years old and not six thousand, or that vaccines don't cause autism, or that neonicotinoids are the root cause of bee population decline, then why would you trust them when they tell you that even common insect species are becoming rare ?
More bullshit from the LIEberal left. Just today I saw half a dozen bugs.
Not in Middle Georgia at least. I'm inundated by bugs of all types. My car is covered in them from driving at night, they fly all around my yard, they eat the fruit on my trees, my vegetables. They need to come here and collect all they want, free of charge. For a fee I'll box a swarm up and ship it to them.
I guess dinner is gonna be a little late.
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
The fact is the USA produces far more food as it is than it needs to feed its own population. Almost all increases in agicultural intensity are to feed unsustainable population growth in third world countries which already cannot feed themselves yet have fertility rates 5 or 6. The only way out of this mess is that continued importation of food to these countries has to be contingent on them adopting family planning measures including widespread use of contraception and birth control pills to reduce population growth in third world countries, a one or two child policy in them. First world countries and third world countries should have a fertility rate parity. Birth rates in first world countries are ironically actually too low and to increase them each family would need to have 3 to 4 children (considering some people dont have children). First would country birth rates (where birth rates are actually too low) should be brought up to 2.3 with incentives, tax policy, larger families, etc, and third world down to 2.3. This will create balance rather than the imbalances we have now, it would raise living standards in third world countries by keeping them from going deeper into the malthusian trap and would also protect first world countries from being overrun and losing their distinct identities. People should watch the NumbersUSA gumball video for information on why we have to stop all immigration and why need to help third world populations where they are now and first is they have to stop their runaway population growth or we can never get ahead of helping third world countries out of poverty.
The naked corruption of the Left in the USA who claimed to be so concerned about the environment can also be seen where they claim to be for the environment but then they want to import third world populations that will cause more destruction of the natural environment in the US and place more load on our already finite resources.
> as a result, the insects will become more sensitive to environmental changes.
And they will evolve to survive. Or not.
https://youtu.be/aDaOgu2CQtI?t=2m15s
Can't stop evolution baby.
I've noticed that during the summers growing up even just 2 decades ago fireflies were all over the place. Now they are a rare sight. Sadly though, whatever has done in the fireflies hasn't done much to the mosquitoes around here.
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
We need to create safe spaces for the insects and empower them to enter the stem fields.
A diverse workforce must include insects of all types. Well, maybe not Aphids or other white bugs.
Black bugs matter!
Mosquitoes. They're real common and I doubt many would shed a tear if they were to die off.
Finally some good news!.
Current farming methods differ from traditional methods. Traditionally, there was a swath of wild growing weeds on roadsides next to fields. Now, these swaths are gone. There is maybe a bit of mown grass or likely nothing at all. This removes direct insect corridors from one oasis of natural area to another. So if insects crash in one oasis, there is no longer a ready pressure of new insects to repopulate. Because there are population fluctuations, these crashes in small areas will occur. This leads to a downward stairway of insect populations decreasing one step at a time. See entomologist Doug Tallamy on internet videos to find a description of this and other factors that are leading to population loss in insects and wildlife that depends on insects.
It is amazing to me the level of speculative trash that passes as "science" these days. The article is full of such speculation and rank fantasy... Species are always in flux depending on a myriad of conditions, to say otherwise is irrational and betrays a basic lack of historical knowledge.
If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
by a bang, but by the sound of people posting idiotic comments on facebook. Let's all continue to laugh and post shit on the road to extinction.
Meanwhile in Brazil, Aedes aegypti reproduces exponentially,
spreading Dengue (hemorragic fever), Yellow Fever (Killing 9 out of 10 infected) and Zika Virus (Inducing Birth Defect).
Only the fittest survives. The insects will outlive brazilians at least.
Jose T Oliveira Jr.
Look up the influence of carbon dioxide on plant growth and (more importantly) the nutrient changes that occur in plants as carbon dioxide increases.
As carbon dioxide levels increase insect herbivores need to eat more plant material to get the same energy.
I'd guess that the insects are living on thin energy margins and increased carbon dioxide are shrinking those margins to a point where they may become unsustainable.
Even someone with a "Great Brain" should be able to figure out how carbon contributes to the population decline and predict the result.
We are the cause, mankind. The planet is now on a irreversible death dive. There is nothing that can be done. So kiss your ass goodbye!
Maybe what ever species that comes after us that can survive in the toxins we have left will have better luck.
They had a good 300 million year run ... plus they'll evolve in 15 days so why worry?
Cockroaches seems to adapt the new world. Mosquitoes and lice too.
As this links to a paid publication by Elsevier, I can't say anything about it. I can, however, link to another article, only months ago, and it's debunking (latter in Dutch, sorry) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/18/warning-of-ecological-armageddon-after-dramatic-plunge-in-insect-numbers and https://www.nemokennislink.nl/publicaties/ernstige-zwakheden-in-alarmerend-onderzoek-naar-vliegende-insecten/
As said, I can't say anything about the Elsevier article and frankly, I don't think it serves a purpose to link to articles we can't read. Thinking of it, this would make a great business model: perform research with alarming outcome; get paywalled article linked on Slashdot... Profit!
my other sig is a 500 page novel
Rare species are no longer common.
Spray insecticides and herbicides with abandon, and not simply turn the land into Mordor.
It is not global warming, it is partly habitat destruction and mainly the fact that we dump a crap ton of toxins designed to kill these creatures into the environment EVERY DAY!!!
Even Common Species Are Becoming Rare:
Try saying this in Minnesota when a swarm of mosquitoes, flies, no see ems descend on you as you step outside in the summer evening.
You will get a mouthful of mosquitoes, flies, no see ems.
Chemtrails, those thick plumes behind jets are not contrails, the only true part of contrails is the "con". Insects cannot breath with their spiracles are clogged with aluminum nano particulate. Meanwhile the UV radiation fro the sun is allowed through from the damaged ozone layer from decades chemtrail spraying.
Chemtrails - Dane Wigington did not make this site for fun, and mark against it as psy-ops
http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/
That flu you caught, that is also from the chemtrails, and is the reason why it is so wide-spread:
https://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/684587/CHEMTRAIL-FLU-Doctor-s-shock-claim-planes-make-us-sick-so-medical-firms-can-cash-in