Insects are ubiquitous. They live on land, in fresh water - where life is possible. You can not meet them only in the seas. Given this distribution, the question arises: "What is the role of insects in nature?"
Features of species
The number of animal species of the named class on the planet significantly exceeds the number of other groups. To date, more than 625 thousand of their species are known. Common beetles are the most common and have rigid forewings.
There is a division and the nature of food. There are three groups among them:
- Those that eat other insects (ladybugs, mantises).
- Those that eat the waste of decomposition of plants and animals (dead eaters, gravediggers).
- Plant-eating (Maybeetle, leaf beetles, chamois).
It is worth noting that some types of ladybugs are specially bred in the laboratory. This is necessary in order to later release them into greenhouses and gardens to destroy aphids.
Dead eaters and gravediggers belong tonature nurses. They prevent pollution of the environment by the waste products of decaying living organisms.
What's the use?
The role of insects in nature can be both positive and negative. Speaking about the benefits, it should be noted that:
- without insects, pollination of plants is often impossible;
- they are involved in soil-forming processes;
- named living organisms support the cycle of substances in nature.
Pollination of plants
The importance of insects in nature is great. And their positive activity, first of all, consists in pollination of plants. Such qualities are possessed by bumblebees, bees, butterflies, etc. It is known that some plant species are not able to reproduce without pollination. For example, clover, which produced good crops in New Zealand, nevertheless could not produce seeds until bumblebees were introduced into the country.
Soil-forming processes
Termites and ants are actively involved in loosening the soil. There are other insects that live in the ground, forming passages in it. By the way, without their activity, the decomposition of fallen coniferous plants becomes impossible. And this leads to the accumulation of peat-like layers, causing the land to become infertile.
Squads of insects loosen the soil, enrich it with humus, and provide ventilation. Of no small importance is the destruction of excrement and carcasses of animals. After all, substances released during the decomposition of organisms pollute the environment, including the soil.
Cycle of matter
The role of insects in nature is larger than one can imagine. They take part in the cycle of substances in nature. Much would not be on the planet if it were not for insects. Birds, for example, eat them. Some of their species eat only insects. Predatory animals, in turn, feed on birds. This is how the cycle of substances reaches a person.
Negative activity
If you study what role insects play in nature, it is worth noting that they bring not only benefits. The negative results of their activities are as follows:
- destruction of plants;
- spread of diseases.
Destruction of plants
There are cases when certain types of insects destroyed entire fields. Damage can affect different organs of plants. Sometimes not only leaves, fruits and trunks are destroyed, but also the root system.
Insects destroy plant tissue, make holes in it, causing crops to dry out and die. As a result, entire plantations of the crop may be in danger of dying. Of particular danger is the mass reproduction of individual individuals. There are known cases of locust attacks on fields, as a result of which all plants encountered on its path were destroyed.
Pests include some species of butterflies and beetles, aphids, locusts and others. It is worth noting that this is the fault of the person. He doesn't always follow the rulescrop rotation, grows one crop for many years in a row in a certain place, which contributes to the reproduction of insects. Mankind actively fights pests through the use of chemicals that are sprayed on plants and soil.
Disease vectors
The role of insects in nature is also associated with danger. So, some of their species are carriers of pathogens. These are mosquitoes, mosquitoes, bedbugs and others.
Endoparasites are often insects still in the larval stage. For example, they can settle in the body of cattle and cause serious harm to livestock. In addition, the danger hangs over a person. Blood-sucking insects can infect with pathogenic microbes, as well as parasitic worms. Ways of transmission - through food (flies), bites (mosquito, tick).
Red Book
Given the importance of insects in nature, some of their endangered species are subject to protection.
To date, about 95 species are listed in the Red Book, which are on the verge of extinction. Most of the rare insects are beetles (36 species). These include alpine barbel, ground beetles, krasotel and others.
There are 33 species of butterflies in the Red Book - Apollo, pigeons, bears and others. 23 species of Hymenoptera are subject to protection. Among them there are seemingly common insects - bees and bumblebees. The remaining two species are dragonflies.
Interesting facts about insect breeding around the world
Many terrariumistsfarming insects, including grasshoppers and locusts. This is their hobby, which not all ordinary people understand. In some countries, instead of cats and dogs, they prefer to keep large cockroaches. Maybe because they do not make a sound and do not interfere with households and neighbors. In addition, they are picky in nutrition, do not have wool and fluff.
In Australia, for example, praying mantises are pets. By the way, some villagers just put these insects on the curtains to catch flies.
In China, preference is given to growing crickets. This is not just a hobby, but a real entertainment. Fights and fights are held between crickets. The Chinese themselves are watching this with great pleasure. Swimmers are also raised. They are kept in aquariums and have a peculiar body structure.
As you can see, it is difficult to answer unequivocally what role insects play in nature. It can be positive and negative. Bees, bumblebees and other insects pollinate plants, taking part in their reproduction. Gravediggers and dead eaters destroy hazardous waste generated after the decomposition of dead animals. Locusts and aphids destroy plants. Mosquitoes and bedbugs are carriers of diseases. As you can see, the importance of insects in nature is great and varied.
In this case, it is worth noting the aesthetic component. After all, even the most ardent opponent of all representatives of the described class of animals will involuntarily begin to admire the beauty of butterflies.
