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A. Climate change is pointed out as the root cause of the appearance of unfamiliar insects, but this is not necessarily true. There are various inflow routes for unfamiliar insects, including human traffic with foreign countries and import of goods. However, due to climate change, the possibility that they will survive longer in the country and spread further is increasing.
☞Subscribe to the Hankyoreh newsletter H:730. Type ‘Hankyoreh h730’ in the search bar. Recently, bedbugs were discovered in a sauna in Seo-gu, Incheon and a university dormitory in Daegu, causing an emergency. In Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the 5th of last month, a group of exotic termites, notorious as ‘wooden building killers’ by gnawing on trees at random, was discovered in a residential area, and in August last year, about 400 red fire ants, which cause skin inflammation and shock when bitten, were discovered at Incheon Port. The Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Quarantine Headquarters took emergency control measures. The red-backed velvet fly, also known as the ‘love bug,’ spread around the city center and became a hot topic. With the appearance of unfamiliar insects that are rarely seen, some are concerned that the climate crisis has brought them. This is half true and half false. Although the climate crisis is not the direct cause of these problems, it can greatly contribute to their spread. Kim Hae-dong, a professor of Earth and Environment at Keimyung University, said, “It is possible that invasive species were introduced into Korea due to human and material traffic with foreign countries, but it is difficult to say that they emerged naturally due to climate change.” Professor Kim explained, however, “As the domestic climate becomes subtropical due to global warming, the possibility that previously unnoticed species will spread significantly has increased.” After COVID-19, international exchanges have become more active again, increasing the possibility that various exotic species will be introduced into the country. Invasive alien species can disturb ecosystems dominated by native species, so we always need to be prepared. They say we need to be especially careful when it comes to insects. Lee Kang-un, director of the Holocene Ecological Conservation Research Institute, points out, “Because insects serve as the cornerstone of the ecosystem, they can disrupt the ecosystem of plants and animals as well as insects.” This means that if the cornerstone of the ecosystem called insects changes, the animals that feed on them and the plants that insects feed on can all be affected and damaged. According to Director Lee’s explanation, invasive foreign species of insects basically have a strong vitality and reproduce quickly. It is said that invasive species regard surrounding organisms as enemies and adapt very aggressively to unfamiliar environments. Moreover, thanks to their ‘unfamiliar extroversion’, birds that prey on similar insects have no natural enemies to avoid them. If the environment you move to becomes a warm and humid environment like the place you lived before, you will be able to adapt better. Some say that as insect life becomes more persistent, they may become more prosperous without being affected by climate change. The director says this is a “misunderstanding.” “Insects are cold-blooded animals designed to live in response to temperature changes, so sudden changes in temperature can actually threaten the lives of insects.” Insects are also ‘living fossils’ that have been adapting to various diseases and environmental changes for 350 million years, but climate change is a barrier that makes it difficult for insects to adapt as well. Research has shown that the number of insects living on land has decreased by more than 30% over the past 30 years. While most native insect species are unable to adapt to climate change and fail to survive, there is a risk that invasive alien species may dominate the environment disproportionately in an environment without natural enemies, destroying the ecosystem. The reason why this phenomenon must be viewed with caution is because the invasive alien species that are rampant due to the climate crisis can contribute to the destruction of the ecosystem, creating a vicious cycle that causes another climate crisis. In its ‘Climate Action for Nature’ report, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said, “Conserving and restoring natural spaces, both on land and in the ocean, is essential to limit carbon emissions and adapt to an already changing climate,” adding that it is a climate crisis. He explains that restoring damaged ecosystems is ultimately a means of responding to the climate crisis. Meanwhile, among the insects that have recently become a hot topic, there is one that is misunderstood. These are bedbugs. Before us, news of bed bug outbreaks spread in countries such as France and the UK, and bed bugs are also often misunderstood as an introduced species. Although bed bugs are known to have been eradicated in Korea since the 1980s and 1990s, they are still around. According to the director’s explanation, bed bugs survive by sucking the blood of warm-blooded animals. It mainly uses humans or bats as hosts. Although they are difficult to see in urban areas due to the quarantine effect, they are said to be alive throughout the areas where domestic bats are distributed. It is said that bed bugs can sometimes be seen dead after midnight on the window frames of the Holocene Ecology Conservation Research Institute in Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon-do. Bedbugs, which like warm places, got stuck between the windows and died. Bed bugs, which have recently emerged, are highly resistant to insecticides and are known to be so prolific that if they enter someone’s bed, they can lay thousands of eggs within a few weeks. Bed bugs even like warm, humid climates, so they may survive in cities longer than we think. Reporter Shin So-yoon yoon@hani.co.kr
2023-10-25 22:00:29
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