Varuni Ankolekar, Quartesian
Human activities have led to concerns like climate change, global warming, etc. This is caused due to the increased use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and many more reasons. Severe forest degradation is caused due to agriculture, unsustainable forest management, mining, public service projects, and increased wildfire, etc. Loss of forest habitats may lead to local extinctions.
Ever since COVID 19 pandemic has started, human lives, including the physical world have had an impact. During the lockdown, we have seen drastic positive changes in the environment which has been a silver lining. There has been evidence of varying deforestation rates in some places, reduced water and air pollution and snow is turn out to be more reflective than before in some regions. The reduction of economic activities had considerable effects on the environment. Potential ways to accomplish long-term environmental benefits should be brought into action.
Recent study to understand the evolution in insects due to Anthropogenic deforestation:
A recent study conducted by researchers in the Department of Zoology revealed that human-driven deforestation leads to the loss of wings in insect populations in several locations in southern New Zealand.
In New Zealand, mostly above the alpine treeline, wingless stonefly species are found as they are exposed to strong winds and experience pressure against the flight. Fully winged morphs are mainly spotted in lowland forests and wing-reduced morphs in high altitudes.
How was the study conducted?
The purpose was to find the links between treelined position and flight loss in winged stoneflies at various sites in southern New Zealand.
- Wing-polymorphic populations of the Zelandoperla fenestrata complex with a variety of wing lengths were studied to find the flight-capable and flightless forms in other inhabitants. Additionally, wing pad growth patterns were studied in nymphs to understand flight-capable and flightless phenotypes.
- Transect sites with adequate numbers of nymphs were chosen.
- Flight assays were performed to detect the degree of wing reduction resulting in the loss of ability to fly in wing-polymorphic populations.
- Data analysis on how frequencies of flight-capable and flightless phenotypes vary at different altitudes and local treeline across each transect was performed.
Results and discussion:
Observations revelated that position of the treeline influence the relative frequencies of flight-capable and flightless forms in polymorphic populations of the Z. fenestrata complex than at different elevations.
Roughly 750 years ago, before human populations were seen in New Zealand, the South Island was almost completely forested below the alpine treeline. Borland Burn and Whiskey Gully are the two transect sites where the forests have remained intact. Human-caused deforestation is witnessed at low treeline elevations of the rest of the three transects.
Significance of the study:
The study, carried out by researchers in the Department of Zoology, is the first analysis that has revealed that such clines can shift quickly in response to human-driven ecological change. Transitions from flight-capable to flightless phenotypes with increasing elevation are noticed. The pressures caused due to anthropogenic deforestation can highly affect not only speciation but also extinction processes.
Hence, it is significant to implement the proposed strategies such as Sustainable industrialization and transport, Use of renewable energy, Wastewater treatment, and reuse, Waste recycling and reuse, Ecological restoration, and ecotourism which could in global environmental sustainability.
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Reference:
- Foster, B. J., McCulloch, G. A., Vogel, M. F. S., Ingram, T., & Waters, J. M. (2021). Anthropogenic evolution in an insect wing polymorphism following widespread deforestation. Biology Letters, 17(8), 20210069. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2021.0069
- Rume, T., & Islam, S. M. D.-U. (2020). Environmental effects of COVID-19 pandemic and potential strategies of sustainability. Heliyon, 6(9), e04965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04965
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Author info:
Varuni Ankolekar, Quartesian
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