Locust with synchronous waves attacks different regions of the Earth: what is it connected

Moreover, scientists predict that the habitat of a predatory locust that devours the crops will increase by 25% due to climate change. In focus. Technology has appeared its Telegram channel. Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intrusive news from the world of science! The study authors point out that their work is the first to show a reliable relationship between large -scale synchronized locust attacks and specific weather conditions.

The scale of these giant swarms of locusts is striking and frightening: only one swarm can have tens of millions of insects and occupy an area of ​​2400 square kilometers. At the same time, outbreaks observed in North Africa, as well as some parts of the Middle East and Asia, can only destroy hundreds of hectares of crops in just one day, which would be enough to feed about 35,000 people.

Scientists have noticed that sometimes swarms of locusts attack synchronized in different places, causing the destruction of the crop and disrupting food safety on a regional scale. As a result, researchers focused on the understanding of these events to find a way to help farmers protect their crops and avoid catastrophes.

During the study, scientists analyzed a large database of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, where they monitored the number of locust outbreaks in 36 countries from 1985 to 2020. Further, the team combined this information with meteorological data, such as: as a result, scientists were able to determine the driving forces of the occurrence of synchronized swarms of locusts.

According to the leading author of the study, Doctors of the National University of Singapore Xiniu Lee, they were able to find a connection between locust attacks and climatic conditions, namely rains and strong winds. One of the theories of this connection suggests that the eggs of locusts, which insects are massively laid in the ground, require a high level of soil moisture for development and hatching.

Thus, heavy rains accelerate the growth of plants, providing lush crops and other vegetation as a ready -made source of food for hatched cubs. Then they grow up, and then the flocks climb into the sky. At the same time, strong winds help the landscapes of locusts to move long distances and cause outbreaks in new places. According to Lee, a new study gives an alarming view of the future of the Earth in the context of climate change.

Scientists have modeled various possible scenarios in the period from 2065 to 2100, where lower or higher emissions can lead to less or more warming. Unfortunately, even with the most positive scenario with a sharp reduction in emissions, in the existing "hot spots of Africa and Asia", flocks of locusts will continue to be observed.