Climate change, big agriculture combine to threaten insects

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

A new study says habitat loss from big agriculture and climate change are combining to threaten the world’s insects, and insects are essential for growing food. Wednesday’s study in the journal Nature says it’s not just hotter temperatures and it’s not just the lack of food or shelter from habitat loss, but it’s how the two problems combine. About 50% of the loss in total numbers of bugs can be blamed on the combination of warmer temperatures and habitat loss. The problems make each other worse.