Brightsurf Science News and Current Science News Events
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Insect population growth likely accelerated by warmer climate

Insect population growth likely accelerated by warmer climate

October 31, 2006

Insects have proven to be highly adaptable organisms, able through evolution to cope with a variety of environmental changes, including relatively recent changes in the world's climate. But like something out of a scary Halloween tale, new University of Washington research suggests insects' ability to adapt to warmer temperatures carries an unexpected consequence - more insects.

It appears that insect species that adapt to warmer climates also will increase their maximum rates of population growth, which UW researchers say is likely to have widespread affects on agriculture, public health and conservation.




Many studies have shown that insects readily adapt to the temperature of their environment. For example, those living in deserts easily tolerate high temperatures but are much less tolerant of cold temperatures than insects living in mountains. Now UW biology researchers have found that insect species that have adapted to warmer environments also have faster population growth rates. The research shows, in effect, that "warmer is better" for insects, said Melanie Frazier, a UW biology doctoral student.

"Enhanced population growth rates for butterflies might be a good thing, but enhanced growth rates for mosquito populations is much more dubious," said Frazier, who is lead author of the new research, published in the October edition of the journal The American Naturalist.

Co-authors are Raymond Huey, a UW biology professor, and David Berrigan, a former UW biology researcher now with the National Cancer Institute.

The findings suggest that evolutionary adaptation to climate warming will have profound ecological effects because rates of population growth eventually will alter entire ecosystems, Frazier said. In addition, key ecosystem characteristics such as species diversity and food webs are very sensitive to the population growth rates of the species living and interacting in those ecosystems.

She noted that biochemical adaptation to warmer temperature is not the only possible insect response to climate warming. Some species might evade warmer temperatures by moving to cooler habitats, or they might alter their seasonal activity patterns. Others might not be able to adapt adequately and could become extinct. But those that do adapt should have elevated rates of population growth.

"No matter which scenario plays out for a given species, local ecosystems will be profoundly altered," Frazier said.

University of Washington



Related Population Growth News Articles Population Growth News and Current Population Growth Events RSS Population Growth News and Current Population Growth Events RSS
Biocontrol Insect Exacerbates Invasive Weed
Biocontrol agents, such as insects, are often released outside of their native ranges to control invasive plants. But scientists in Montana have found that through complex community interactions among deer mice, native plants and seeds, the presence of an introduced fly may exacerbate the effects of the invasive plant it was meant to control.

Study: Future snowmelt in West twice as early as expected; threatens ecosystems and water reserves
According to a new study, global warming could lead to larger changes in snowmelt in the western United States than was previously thought, possibly increasing wildfire risk and creating new water management challenges for agriculture, ecosystems and urban populations.

Reforestation using exotic plants can disturb the fertility of tropical soils
In many regions of the world, the impact of human activity on the environment intensified considerably over the past century. The high world population growth rate and the expansion of areas given over to crop production associated with climatic changes (longer periods of drought, irregular rainfall patterns) induced by global warming, have contributed to the acceleration of desertification.

Global warming will negatively impact tropical species
Global warming is likely to reduce the health of tropical species, scientists from UCLA and the University of Washington report May 6 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

African farmers gaining access to disease-resistant, 'upland' rice varieties
As concern builds around the impact of rising food prices and new restrictions on rice exports from Asian countries hit by adverse climate conditions, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) announced today that African rice breeders have made critical steps towards ensuring self-sufficiency and boosting African rice production.

Clovis-age overkill didn't take out California's flightless sea duck
Clovis-age natives, often noted for overhunting during their brief dominance in a primitive North America, deserve clemency in the case of California's flightless sea duck. New evidence says it took thousands of years for the duck to die out.

UCR-led research team uses tiny wasp to wipe out major agricultural pest in Tahiti
A research team led by Mark Hoddle, a biological control specialist at UC Riverside, has nearly eradicated the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a major agricultural pest, from the island of Tahiti and several other French Polynesian islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

Scientists Say Tropics Are Next Emerging Disease Hotspot
Scientists from four well-known institutions say the next major disease like HIV/AIDS or SARS could occur in any of a number of developing countries concentrated along the equator. They encourage increased surveillance to prevent the spread of a potential outbreak.

Alarming growth in expected CO2 emissions in China, finds UC analysis
The growth in China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is far outpacing previous estimates, making the goal of stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gases even more difficult, according to a new analysis by economists at the University of California, Berkeley, and UC San Diego.

What caused westward expansion in the United States?
Western Expansion during the nineteenth century was an important determinant of geographic distribution and economic activity in the United States today. However, while explanations abound for why the migration occurred- from the low price of land to a pioneering spirit - little empirical work has been done to determine which specific market forces were the most important drivers.
More Population Growth News Articles


Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update
by Donella H. Meadows, Jorgen Randers, Dennis L. Meadows

In 1972, three scientists from MIT created a computer model that analyzed global resource consumption and production. Their results shocked the world and created stirring conversation about global 'overshoot,' or resource use beyond the carrying capacity of the planet. Now, preeminent environmental scientists Donnella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, and Dennis Meadows have teamed up again to update and...



History: Fiction or Science? Dating methods as offered by mathematical statistics. Eclipses and zodiacs. Chronology Vol.I
by Anatoly Fomenko

History: Fiction or Science? is the most explosive tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by solid scientific data. The book is well-illustrated, contains over 446 graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays, which never cease to amaze the...



The Malthus Factor: Poverty, Politics and Population in Capitalist Development
by Eric B. Ross

This book represents a major critique of the way Malthusian thinking has influenced capitalist development policy in the modern period, as well as in the past. Taking an historical and comparative view, it highlights the strategic role of Malthusian ideas in the defence of capitalist political economy when confronted by struggles for equality and human progress.The leading historical example the...



Feeding the Ten Billion: Plants and Population Growth
by Lloyd T. Evans

At the current rate of increase, the world's population is likely to reach ten billion by the middle of the twenty-first century. What will be the challenges posed by feeding this population and how can they be addressed? Written to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Malthus' seminal Essay on the Principle of Population, this fascinating book looks at the intimate links between...



Chicken Soup to Inspire a Woman's Soul: Stories Celebrating the Wisdom, Fun and Freedom of Midlife (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Stephanie Marston

This inspiring collection is for the 50 million American women who are finding renewed joy, passion and meaning in their lives. Demi Moore's doing it. Oprah's doing it. Joan Lunden's doing it. These are just a few of the 50 million American women who are celebrating the prime of their lives by redefining themselves. This feel-good book celebrates the growing sisterhood of women who are...



The Angry Black Woman's Guide to Life
by Denene Millner, Angela Burt-Murray, Mitzi Miller

The smart, sassy guide to embracing your inner Angry Black Woman Rosa Parks, Claire Huxtable, Serena Williams. What do these women have in common? They are all Angry Black Women, whether they know it or not. Throughout history, women's attempts to stand up for themselves have been dismissed as the ramblings of "angry women." But there's a method to their madness. Using quizzes, historical...



On Your Own without a Net: The Transition to Adulthood for Vulnerable Populations (The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Mental Health and De)

In the decade after high school, young people continue to rely on their families in many ways-sometimes for financial support, sometimes for help with childcare, and sometimes for continued shelter. But what about those young people who confront special difficulties during this period, many of whom can count on little help from their families? On Your Own Without a Net documents the special...



ESSAY ON THE PRINCIPAL OF POPULATION, AN - KINDLE EDITION [ENG]
by Thomas Malthus

Sir Thomas Malthus' essay that was dedicated to what is now known as Malthus' Iron Law of Population. This pessimistic theory suggested that growing population rates would contribute to a rising supply of labor that would inevitably lower wages Includes remarks on the speculations of Mr. Godwin, M. Condorcet, and other...



The Growth of Humanity
by Barry Bogin

The Growth of Humanity Barry Bogin The growth of human populations and human physical growth are intimately related, and their combined study links several fields including anthropology, demography, economics, and history. The Growth of Humanity provides an introduction to key concepts, methods of research, and essential discoveries in the fields of human demography and human growth and...



Bacteriophage Ecology: Population Growth, Evolution, and Impact of Bacterial Viruses (Advances in Molecular and Cellular Microbiology)

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and are believed to be the most abundant and genetically diverse organisms on Earth. As such, their ecology is vast both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Their abundance makes an understanding of phage ecology increasingly relevant to bacterial ecosystem ecology, bacterial genomics and bacterial pathology. Abedon provides the first...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com