The alarming rise in the use of fertilizers and pesticides in many farms across the world is directly related to declining in the insect population. These insects include important pollinators as well, including butterflies and bees, and their population has plummeted to as low as 50% in certain areas of the world.
Jonathan Dax Cooke Discusses Pesticides Use and Their Toxic Effects on Insects
US agriculture, as well as other farms throughout the world, heavily depend on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. If these chemicals benefit the crops and increase the yield, on the other hand, they are destroying insect populations and disturbing the ecosystem.
Jonathan Dax Cooke believes that dramatic changes in climates and the subsequent damage caused by these toxic pesticides lead to a widespread loss in the population of many insect species.
Changing temperatures, coupled with intensive agriculture, especially in important areas of the world like tropical regions, are making an impact on the insects’ numbers.
An increase in temperature can increase the pressure on the insects’ population, and those regions of the world where there is a notable climate change are seeing the most decline in insects’ population.
Jonathan Dax Cooke Relates Insects Population to Crops Quality
Insects are very important for agricultural ecosystems.
They help in cycling minerals and providing important nutrients to plants. They can disperse seeds and help in pollination. Insects maintain soil structure, and they improve the fertility of the soil.
Insects interact with other organisms and species of insects and provide a food source for many plants and animals.
In short, insects have a very positive impact on crop growth and plant health, and maintaining their population must be a top priority for zoologists and farmers.
The decrease in insect population can be harmful not just to the natural environment but local ecosystems. The insect’s “apocalypse” can have a domino effect on the food chain, and eventually, it leads to harmful effects on human health.
Jonathan Dax Cooke believes that insects’ decline is more to be blamed on human interference and less on climatic change.
Jonathan Dax Cooke Discusses the Reasons Behind Declining Insects Population
Deforestation, expanding land for agricultural use, and uncontrolled use of chemicals on crops are leading to an increase in air, water, and land pollution. Coupled with global warming, Jonathan Dax Cooke believes all these practices are altering the natural conditions which support the insect population. Another reason for the declining population of insects is the rise of invasive species, which is also due to artificial changes in the natural environment.
Jonathan Dax Cooke has learned through many studies that insect decline is most commonly witnessed in areas where there is aggressive and intense agriculture prevalent. More land degradation, chemicals, livestock, and plant harvesting are imposing significant damage to a total number of insects.
The use of neonicotinoid pesticides, a class of insecticides that affect the CNS of insects, resulting in their death, make the agricultural landscape most toxic to useful pollinators like honeybees.
The enormous use of these harmful chemicals matches the plummeting rates in butterflies, bees, birds, and other important pollinators.
This means that agriculture is now more toxic to pollinators, as the neonicotinoid pesticides can remain toxic for more than a thousand days.