In previous research, it has been assumed that insects in temperate regions would cope well with or even benefit from a warmer climate. Not so, according to researchers from the Universities of Uppsala and Lund in Sweden and Oviedo, Spain, in a new study.
The earlier models failed to take into account the fact that insects in temperate habitats are inactive for much of the year.
The research group’s study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, presents new knowledge about the potential effects of global warming on insect populations. The results show that insects may be more threatened by climate change than previous estimates have indicated.
“Insects in temperate zones might be as threatened by climate change as those in the tropics,” says Uppsala University professor Frank Johansson.
The researchers found new, disturbing patterns in a modified analysis of a previously used dataset on insects’ critical temperature limits and their survival. Their conclusion is that temperate insects might be just as sensitive to climate change as tropical ones.
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