Why Insects Are Essential For Our Ecosystem

Many believe that if we have a better understanding of the contributions of insects to our ecosystem, we would be more open to keeping the benefits they provide to the earth’s ecosystem. The increasing population in urban areas appears to be losing their appreciation of the benefits of the world’s insects.

Benefits

Insects are essential in many ways, such as:

• Useful products
• Biological Control
• Recycling
• Pollination
• Food for Humans
• Medicinal Uses

Insects deserve a lot of positive attention. They are unrecognized regulators of ecosystems, helping sustain them with their activities. 

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Many understand that insects are critical to all aspects of a healthy ecosystem. Unfortunately, insects are also the focus of pest control activities that could result in ecosystems having unintended consequences.

Human Survival

We need to manage insects in our ecosystems to ensure our ecosystem survives. If they are not managed properly, we could experience an array of challenging and even deadly situations. It could lead to water shortages, famine, health issues, economic disruption, and more. Furthermore, it could escalate into population displacement and social unrest. Crowd diseases and epidemics that can be prevented by insects could overwhelm modern society.

Food Source

Insects and the many different things they produce are an essential source of food in many cultures. One of the most important trading products for over a millennium has been honey. 

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In many parts of the world, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, cicadas, and other types of insects are excellent sources of protein. Furthermore, insects can provide protein more efficiently than cattle. When insect protein is used instead of vertebrate protein, greenhouse gas emissions are significantly decreased.

More than 1,450 edible insect species provide food for over 2,500 ethnic groups in more than 110 countries. 

Medical Uses

Many different types of insects are used for medical purposes. For thousands of years, blowfly maggots have been used to heal wounds, as they selectively feed on necrotic tissue. When they are finished, they leave clean tissue. Maggots have also shown they can heal a wound and lower the risk for infection. 

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In wart removal, using a has been successful using blister beetles. A powerful antimicrobial compound is provided by blowfly larvae. A promising anti-cancer compound has been obtained from wasp venom.

Tourist Attractions

Many tourist destinations around the world use insects as part of their attractions. 

In Mexico, many people go to see the overwintering groups of thousands of monarch butterflies. This also happens with certain related species of butterflies located in areas of tropical Asia. 

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Butterfly house are popular across the globe. They provide a way for people to learn about and enjoy different butterflies.

Pollination

This is one of the most essential elements of what insects provide in the ecosystems around the world. Bees and other insects are responsible for the pollination of up to 90% of plant species. They are also essential to more than 34% of worldwide crop production. 

Honey bees are the most well-known pollinators. However, there are also thousands of other insect pollinators who provide pollination for many different types of plants as well as crops. The yield of coffee beans will increase as bee diversity rises. 

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Pollinators such as bumblebees, hoverflies, and other insects raise the weight of oilseed to over 17%. This results in an increase in the market value of the plant by as much as 20 percent. In areas where pollinators’ population has decreased, there are efforts to promote their activities and restore their habitats. 

Decomposition

An essential role insects play in the ecosystems around the world is with the decomposition of organic matter. Employees at museums and universities put this to their advantage. Colonies of carpet beetles are often used to clean mammal skeletons. These insects consume anything organic, including carpets, cereals, and much more. If there were no insects in the world, the earth would be overwhelmed with trash. 

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Everything from dead leaves and other types of organic refuse is fed upon by insects. Bacteria will complete the decomposition process, but it is much faster and efficient when plant material is first prepared by insects for the decomposition process. Since the bodies of insects are made mostly of nitrogen, when they die, they return an essential ingredient to maintain healthy soil. 

In 2004, the emergence and death of trillions of 17-year cicadas in the eastern United States occurred. This resulted in increased nitrogen in the ground and significantly improved the health of the affected soil.

Insects make significant contributions to the health of the world’s ecosystem. These contributions seem to mitigate cases where they can be pests. The health and sustainability of the planet’s ecosystem will be based on the proper management of insect environments.