Impact of Climate Change on Population Dynamics of Insect Pests

Abstract

The occurrence of climate changes is evident from increase in global average temperature, changes in the rainfall pattern and extreme climatic events. These seasonal and long term changes would affect the fauna,flora and population dynamics of insect pests. The abiotic parameters are known to have direct impact on insect population dynamics through modulation of developmental rates, survival, fecundity, voltinism and dispersal.Among the climatic factors, temperature is an important factor. The studies showed that, declined survival rate of brown plant hopper Nilaparvatha lugens (Stal) and rice leaf folder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guen) at higher temperature indicates the impacts of rising temperature could do the changes in the pest population dynamics of rice ecosystem. The alteration in the voltinism also could be the results of warming and it is more profit to multivoltine species and voltinism could be reflected in changes in the geographical distribution. Beside these, elevated CO also showed some impact on pest’s p 2 opulation abundance, the crop grown under the elevated CO2 could alter the nutritional value of plants; it may alter the insect abundance and increase the consumption rate of herbivores. Therefore climate change would result in changes in the population dynamics of insect pests. Thus temperature rise plays a pivotal role in insect population dynamics.