Temperature projections from global climate models integrated with simple dynamical models suggest that there will be a systematic increase in the extinction risk of insect populations in the twenty-first century. The risks due to warming are amplified when temperature variability is taken into account.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Montgomery, G. A. et al. Is the insect apocalypse upon us? How to find out. Biol. Conserv. 241, 108327 (2020). A perspective article on the current understanding of massive insect declines.
Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (eds Brondizio, E. S. et al.) (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, 2019); https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3831673. A report on the current state and trends in biodiversity loss.
Van Klink, R. et al. Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances. Science 368, 417–420 (2020). This paper reports nuanced changes in insect abundances worldwide.
Halsch, C. A. et al. Insects and recent climate change. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 118, e2002543117 (2020). A perspective article that presents the response of insect populations to climate change.
Vasseur, D. A. et al. Increased temperature variation poses a greater risk to species than climate warming. Proc. R. Soc. B 1799, 20132612 (2014). This paper reports greater risks to insects from temperature fluctuations than from increasing warming.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This is a summary of: Duffy, K. et al. Climate-mediated shifts in temperature fluctuations promote extinction risk. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01490-7 (2022).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Temperature variability under climate change increases extinction risk of insects. Nat. Clim. Chang. 12, 979–980 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01494-3
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01494-3