Mass Insect Extinction: The Elephant in the Room
Insects are amazing – in every sense of the word. There are currently over 900,000 known species in the world, each performing different roles within our eco-systems. Not only do they form essential ecological links as predators and parasites, but they are also responsible for the vital roles of decomposition, soil processing and, of course, pollination. Insects have also contributed to the evolution of many other species; the most notable being the relationship they have formed with the flowering plants with which they have co-evolved over the last 100 million years.
Many insects are known as ‘keystone species’which means a number of other species depend upon them for their existence. If you were to remove a keystone species from any given eco-system it would upset the balance and that eco-system would collapse. Nature is all about balance. Given the fact that many of the planet’s keystone species are insects, it’s most fortunate that they have proved so resilient to change. Unfortunately, over a period of just 100 short years, things have changed so dramatically that this amazing class of species is now under threat. For the first time ever, insects are facing mass extinction.
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- Endangered Species ‘Red List’ Update Showcases Biodiversity Threats
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- First mass extinction linked to marine anoxia
- First Record of Insect Pollination Found in Amber 100 Million Years Old
