Scientists have noticed that the number of insects in Puerto Rico’s rainforest has decreased drastically. This is a concern because insects serve as food for frogs, lizards and bugs. Puerto Rico’s rainforest is a protected area.
The decrease in the number of insects in Puerto Rico’s rainforest is indicative of a much bigger problem. The insect population is decreasing worldwide. Germany’s insect population has decreased by 30 percent within the past three decades.
Researchers cannot point to one thing that is causing the decrease in the insect population. They believe that it is several factors. They believe that changing environmental conditions are one of the reasons that insects are dying. They also believe that pesticides and environmental toxins may be killing the insects.
Insects are not the only species that is in endangered. Mammals, which is the part of the animal kingdom that humans belong to, are also in endangered. Over 300 species of mammals have become extinct since the last ice age. Twenty-five percent of mammals today are endangered.
Scientists estimate that it would take three to seven million years to replace all of the mammals that have died. Human activity is one of the main things that is threatening the lives of mammals. Additionally, the plant population is decreasing. They are still the main source of life on the planet. However, experts believe that there used to be twice as many plants on Earth.
These problems do not have an easy solution. There are so many problems that it can be hard to tell where people should start focusing. Jonathan Baillie is the chief scientist at National Geographic Society. Ya-Phing Zhang is the vice president of Chinese Academy of Sciences. They believe that 50 percent of land should be dedicated to protecting animals and plants.
Many people feel that this goal is unrealistic. However, something has to be done to protect wildlife.
