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<DIV class=art_hdln><STRONG><FONT size=5>Bugs signal the effects of
warmth</FONT></STRONG></DIV><BR>
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<DIV class=art_byln>ARTHUR EVANS</DIV>
<DIV class=art_crdtln>WHAT'S BUGGING YOU</DIV></TD>
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<DIV class=art_date>Jan 11, 2007</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR clear=all><!-- NO VIDEO CHILDREN -->
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<P>On the east side of our house is an exotic species of honeysuckle. Each
spring it is covered in blooms and becomes a magnet for early-season insect
pollinators.</P>
<P>This year, little more than one week into the new year, it is already clothed
in flowers, but only a few honey bees are in evidence. The native, solitary
ground-nesting bees that are usually clambering over its blooms are nowhere to
be found.</P>
<P>Apparently, the spate of warm winter weather has crossed the honeysuckle's
temperature threshold for producing blooms, but not that of the indigenous
pollinators.</P>
<P>Will there be any flowers left by the time the bees emerge from their
underground burrows? Probably not. It appears that the link between our
honeysuckle and this pollinator has been broken, at least temporarily.</P>
<P>The lesson here is that even small, temporary shifts in temperature can have
unpredictable effects that ripple through the environment.</P>
<H3>Long-term impact</H3>
<P>Given the apparent short-term impact of this warm winter on species in my
yard, I began to wonder what might be the long-term effects.</P>
<P>Higher temperatures would undoubtedly improve the reproductive capabilities
of some species but would drive others toward the poles or to higher elevations
as they seek cooler temperatures.</P>
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<P>This shift would force some species into smaller or less desirable habitats,
where they would either adapt or die. Those species successful in colonizing new
habitats would be destined to alter entire ecosystems just by their presence and
numbers.</P>
<P>As climates shift, the synchronicity of some flowering plants and their
pollinators would be disrupted, resulting in reduced seed set as well as pollen
and nectar production.</P>
<P>Plants grown in atmospheres with higher-than-normal concentrations of carbon
dioxide produce nutritionally inferior tissues. Some leaf-feeding insects might
be forced to eat more leaves to obtain enough nourishment to complete their
development. Others might shift their attention to other species of plants, if
they are genetically predisposed to do so.</P>
<H3>Increasing populations</H3>
<P>Increased levels of greenhouse gases also might affect the production and
reception of insect pheromones. Many insects employ pheromones -- airborne
chemical substances -- as their primary means of communication. Pheromones exert
enormous control over such diverse insect behaviors as sending out alarm
signals, or locating food and mates.</P>
<P>Higher temperatures would no doubt increase the populations of some insect
species by shortening their development time and increasing the length of their
reproductive season.</P>
<P>By applying this math to populations of mosquitoes, you can begin to
appreciate the potential risk of increased exposure to mosquito-borne
diseases.</P>
<P>The study of insects has much to offer in terms of understanding the effects
of global warming. Although not as interesting to some people as polar bears,
insects are much better as "canaries in the coal mine" because they are
ubiquitous and react more quickly to subtle changes in the environment than
other organisms.</P>
<P>In light of what we do know, one thing is clear: As with all other organisms,
there would be winners and losers. I wonder in which column we will find
ourselves.</P>
<P>
<DIV class=tagline><TAGLINE type="std"><BR>Dr. Arthur V. Evans is a research
associate at the Smithsonian Institution and the Virginia Museum of Natural
History. Look for his column on the second Thursday of each month. Contact him
at <A href="mailto:arthurevans@verizon.net"><FONT
color=#000099>arthurevans@verizon.net</FONT></A>.</TAGLINE></DIV>
<P><STRONG>FROM TIMES DISPATCH.COM Richmond,
Virginia</STRONG></P></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Laurie Davies Adams<BR>Executive
Director<BR>Coevolution Institute<BR>423 Washington St. 5th<BR>San Francisco, CA
94111<BR>415 362 1137<BR><A
href="http://www.coevolution.org">www.coevolution.org</A><BR><A
href="http://www.nappc.org">www.nappc.org</A><BR><A
href="http://www.pollinator.org">www.pollinator.org</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Visit the above sites to register for the October
18<BR>Pollinator Symposium at the USDA Jefferson Auditorium</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Our future flies on the wings of
pollinators.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>