Climate Change Threatens the Disappearance of Beneficial Insect Species

Climate change is causing a large-scale restructuring of plant communities, which in turn affects trophic chains and leads to significant changes in insect populations. According to experts, the loss of ecological niches poses a risk of complete extinction for many species of beneficial insects.

This is reported by AgroReview

Changes in the Species Composition of Agrocenoses

Ecologists note that the decline in the diversity of butterflies and bees is directly related to current climate fluctuations. Such processes provoke radical changes in the species composition of agrocenoses and also cause shifts in the prioritization among pests. New species may appear in place of some insects, while others lose relevance, entering a state of depression or even disappearing from the ecosystem.

“The relationships in the insect-phytophagous plants-host plants system are regulated, in particular, by secondary metabolites of plants. The dynamics of the synthesis of these substances is linked to the phases of plant organogenesis, and phenological co-adaptations in such a system are the basis for their mechanisms of resistance to damage by phytophages,” explains the scientist.

Plant Phenology and Ecosystem Vulnerability

Phenological characteristics of plants are largely determined by weather conditions. The extension of the growing season due to warming may disrupt the balance of co-adaptations between plants and insects, which directly affects the resistance of plants to pests. Plant communities, or phytocenoses, remain the most vulnerable link in ecosystems to the influence of abiotic factors. Plants respond most acutely to climate changes, while animals, due to adaptive behavior, are able to maintain ecological optimum even with changes in hydrothermal conditions.