Insects reflect the impact on the biodiversity of the Amazon region

Since August 2023, a group of biologists and rangers at the Cuyabeno Wildlife Sanctuary in the Amazon rainforest region, Ecuador have been conducting research on butterfly populations , to assess The impact of climate change on these important pollinators.

Butterflies are "very sensitive, even to small changes in the ecosystem". (Source: kulr8)

Ecuador is a country with a relatively small area but extremely biodiversity. There are about 4,000 species of butterflies here - nearly the same number as neighboring countries with much larger areas such as Peru and Colombia.

Biologists used 32 traps made of green nets with fish bait and fermented bananas to attract butterflies to monitor.

They captured and recorded the number of butterflies, identified them on their wings, then released most of them into the wild, keeping only a few from previously unknown species for further study.

Biologist Maria Fernanda Checa. (Source: kulr8).

Biologist Maria Fernanda Checa said butterflies are "very sensitive, even to small changes in the ecosystem" throughout their short life cycle from cocoon to caterpillar to reproductive adult. .

Therefore, this species can be considered a "biological indicator" that reflects the health of the ecosystem around them.

The results were disappointing to the researchers: although the number of butterfly species may not have decreased by more than 10%, however , the number of individual butterflies decreased significantly in the range of 40-50%.

The decline in butterfly populations has sounded the alarm that climate change can seriously affect the ecosystem.

According to information from the United Nations, 40% of invertebrate pollinators - especially bees and butterflies - are at risk of global extinction, causing certain risks to humanity.

In addition, the above study also emphasizes the urgency of understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest.