I wonder if atmospheric CO2 increase is correlated with the massive reduction in insect biomass we've seen. If so, would it be possible for us to reverse if we decrease insecticides and allow insect population regrowth.
> I wonder if atmospheric CO2 increase is correlated with the massive reduction in insect biomass we've seen.
A byproduct of increased atmospheric CO2 levels is an increase in vegetative growth. My naive assumption is that more plant mass means more food and habitat for insects.
This is not true and is based on the naive assumption that more CO2 means more food for plants. Far more important for plants and biomes in general is the climate. Plants might have more CO2 making it more available for sugar production, but this leads to plants creating more sugars but less nutrient rich. Getting back to the climate, plants can only grow if their climates are hospitable to them, but look at the wildfires in California and the Taiga. Trees can't grow there like they used to because the climate has shifted rapidly and are no longer the right conditions, they're too dry and turning into grasslands and deserts.
We've created a world that is vastly different in climate than what came before. This is the problem with the climate crisis in general, all our ecosystems are in the wrong places
look at the wildfires in California and the Taiga. Trees can't grow there like they used to because the climate has shifted rapidly and are no longer the right conditions
Can't speak to Taiga, but trees are growing just fine in California. Overgrowth of trees creating fuel for fires is as much a problem as anything.
A byproduct of increased atmospheric CO2 levels is an increase in vegetative growth. My naive assumption is that more plant mass means more food and habitat for insects.