{"669606":{"#nid":"669606","#data":{"type":"news","title":"As Temperatures Climb, Flying Insects Slower to Migrate to Cooler Elevations","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis story by Jennifer Woodruff is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.ucdenver.edu\/flying-insects-at-greater-risk-of-climate-change-extinction\/\u0022\u003Eshared jointly\u003C\/a\u003E with the University of Colorado Denver. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn response to rising global temperatures, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations to survive in cooler temperatures. But a new study from the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) and Georgia Tech finds that for flying insects \u2014 including bees and moths \u2014 this escape route may have insurmountable issues that\u0026nbsp;could mean their doom.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team examined more than 800 species of insects from around the world and discovered that many winged insects are moving to higher elevations much slower than their non-flying counterparts. This is because the thinner air at higher elevations provides less oxygen for species to use. Because flight requires more oxygen to generate energy for movement than other styles of movement, such as walking, these species are migrating\u0026nbsp;more slowly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41558-023-01794-2\u0022\u003Eteam\u2019s findings were published\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in this week\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature Climate Change\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;journal. \u003Cstrong\u003EJesse Shaich\u003C\/strong\u003E, postbaccalaureate student at CU Denver, is also a member of the research team.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen we think about where species will be able\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;live under climate change in the coming decades, we need to remember that animals are sensitive to more than just how hot or cold they are,\u201d said CU Denver Assistant Professor of Integrated Biology\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Michael Moore\u003C\/strong\u003E, who led the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EDeclining insect biodiversity has direct impact on humans\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf flying insects\u2019 native habitats get too warm too quickly, and they can\u2019t find a suitable alternative or adapt in time, that will likely lead to their extinction. Beyond just being bad for the bugs themselves, loss of insects is bad news for humans as well. Most crop pollinators are the flying species the researchers expect to be vulnerable, and their extinction would be catastrophic to global food supply. Not only would this have implications for agriculture and food supply chains, but similar challenges are likely true for other species that need a lot of oxygen to live.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur earth\u2019s biodiversity is rapidly declining, especially amongst insects. The global loss of insects will be ecologically catastrophic, so we urgently need to understand why and how this is happening,\u201d said \u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant professor of Biological Sciences at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EBroadening research on high elevation challenges\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo conserve as many species as possible, researchers need to grasp the full scope of challenges plants and animals face, whether they can overcome these challenges, and to predict the locations where they can survive. High elevation environments are also difficult for new species because of the scarcity of food, stronger winds, more extreme cold snaps, and increased ultraviolet radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMoore concludes, \u201cIf we want to design effective conservation strategies, we must consider a broader range of environmental factors that species need to live.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is one of the top public research universities in the U.S., developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers\u202f\u003Cstrong\u003Ebusiness, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts,\u202fand\u202fsciences\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Edegrees. Its more than 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students, representing 50 states and more than 148 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation, conducting more than $1 billion in research annually for government, industry, and society.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the University of Colorado Denver \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe \u003Cstrong\u003EUniversity of Colorado Denver\u003C\/strong\u003E is the state\u2019s premier public urban research university and equity-serving institution. Globally connected and locally invested, CU Denver partners with future-focused learners and communities to design accessible, relevant, and transformative educational experiences for every stage of life and career. Across seven schools and colleges in the heart of downtown Denver, our leading faculty inspires and works alongside students to solve complex challenges through boundary-breaking innovation, impactful research, and creative work. As part of the state\u2019s largest university system, CU Denver is a major contributor to the Colorado economy, with 2,000 employees and an annual economic impact of $800 million. For more information, visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucdenver.edu%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C01%7Cjennifer.woodruff%40ucdenver.edu%7C37d2a0ff8abb4e8626f508dac74234ec%7C563337caa517421aaae01aa5b414fd7f%7C0%7C0%7C638041386042769074%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=Zno7bV5fmo7Mw5pDmEEfAjFPV4PVMFUSDyhj6ZIeRFA%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022\u003Eucdenver.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41558-023-01794-2\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAcknowledgments: Support was generously provided by the University of Colorado Denver (to M.P.M. and J.S.) and Washington University in St. Louis and the Georgia Institute of Technology (to J.T.S.). Conversations with J. de Mayo, J. Grady and A. Lenard and input from three reviewers improved this study.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Flying insects like bees and moths struggle with low oxygen and thin air at high elevations."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn response to changing climates, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations, seeking cooler temperatures. But a new study from Georgia Tech and the University of Colorado Denver finds that flying insects like bees and moths may struggle with insurmountable issues to this escape route.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In response to changing climates, many plants and animals are moving to higher elevations, seeking cooler temperatures. But a new study finds that flying insects like bees and moths may struggle with insurmountable issues to this escape route."}],"uid":"34528","created_gmt":"2023-09-11 21:27:34","changed_gmt":"2024-02-01 15:11:37","author":"jhunt7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671675":{"id":"671675","type":"image","title":"A close up of bees flying into a hive on the CU Denver campus.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA close up of bees flying into a hive on the CU Denver campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1694467660","gmt_created":"2023-09-11 21:27:40","changed":"1694467660","gmt_changed":"2023-09-11 21:27:40","alt":"A close up of bees flying into a hive on the CU Denver campus.","file":{"fid":"254779","name":"CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/11\/CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/11\/CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":111550,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/11\/CUD_beehive-1200x726.jpg?itok=U4bz7MCk"}}},"media_ids":["671675"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"2262","name":"climate"},{"id":"14946","name":"insects"},{"id":"193029","name":"pollinators"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193037","name":"James Stroud"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\njess@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Woodruff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nDirector of Public Relations \u0026amp; Integrated Media\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nUniversity of Colorado Denver\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.woodruff@ucdenver.edu\u0022\u003EJennifer.Woodruff@ucdenver.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n+1 (303) 315-0283\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jess@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}