In the western United States, butterflies are disappearing at an eerie rate, a new study published in "Science" reveals. And to cause their decline are the increasingly higher autumn temperatures.
In the United States, butterflies are disappearing at an eerie rate due to climate change. They are causing their decline in the western part of the US higher and higher autumn temperatures.
This is what emerges from a new study, conducted by a team of scientists and published in the journal Science.
"We have addressed this challenge by integrating datasets of experts and community scientists that include decades of monitoring in over 70 locations in the western United States." - explain the researchers - "We found a 1,6% annual reduction in individual butterflies observed in the last four decades, particularly associated with heat during the autumn months. "
The decline of butterflies associated with increasingly warmer autumns
Scientists have examined over 400 species of butterflies in a dozen states, from Washington to California, from New Mexico to Montana, and have found that their populations increase thanks to high summer temperatures, probably because heat equates to more nectar and a greater amount of food available for butterflies and caterpillars. However, warm autumns lead to a decline in the number of specimens. According to scholars, this occurs because certain plants are unable to survive the prolonged heat and at the same time there is a growth in the population of predators.
The disappearance of butterflies has been recorded in various ecosystems, even in the most pristine and pesticide-free areas. This situation has led researchers to attribute the cause of the phenomenon precisely to the climate crisis, which is endangering numerous species of insects also in the rest of the planet. Butterfly species in decline include not only the most vulnerable such as the (endangered) Bay Checkerspot butterfly and the iconic Monarch butterfly, but even more common species are the lesser cabbage, also known as turnips.
"The fact that so many butterflies are decreasing is very alarming" - underlines Tara Cornelisse, entomologist at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) - "This decline is a wake-up call that warns us we must drastically reduce greenhouse gases to save these beautiful and beloved butterflies., but also our lifestyle ".
Due to climate change, pollution and the massive use of pesticides, the decline of insects, including butterflies and bees, has been galloping at unprecedented rates in recent years and is not good news for anyone at all.
Fonte: Science
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