Heat and Habitat: Bees Suffer from a Perfect Storm

The world is facing an unprecedented decline in insect numbers, with some studies suggesting that their biomass has almost halved since the 1970s. This alarming trend can be attributed to habitat loss due to agriculture, urbanization, and climate change. While these global change drivers have been well-documented, their interaction and impact on insects are not as well-known.

Researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) conducted a study at 179 locations throughout Bavaria, part of the LandKlif research cluster coordinated by Professor Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter within the Bavarian Climate Research Network bayklif. The results, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, reveal a complex and concerning relationship between heat, land use, and insect populations.

Bees are particularly affected

The study found that insects from different trophic levels react differently to the combination of higher temperatures and more intensive land use. Bees were particularly affected, with their numbers reduced by 65 percent in urban areas compared to forests. The researchers attribute this decline to not only hot daytime temperatures but also warmer than average nights.

Dr. Cristina Ganuza, a biologist involved in the study, highlights the significance of night-time temperatures: “Precisely because average night-time temperatures rise even faster than daytime temperatures.” This previously unknown effect on insects reveals a new threat that requires further research to uncover the underlying physiological mechanisms.

Key findings

The researchers summarize their findings in three key points:

1. Warmer daytime temperatures lead to higher numbers and diversity of bees, but only in forests and grasslands, the most natural habitats. Therefore, preserving and creating interconnected natural habitats within agricultural and urban areas is crucial.
2. Higher night temperatures lead to lower bee richness across all studied habitat types, highlighting a previously unknown negative effect on insects.
3. Climate change and land use interact, affecting insects at different trophic levels in distinct ways, which could disrupt food webs and important ecosystem functions like pest control and pollination.

The study emphasizes the importance of addressing climate change and land use to protect insect populations, particularly bees. By preserving natural habitats and creating interconnected areas within agricultural and urban landscapes, we can mitigate the negative impacts on these vital pollinators.

The Edible Aquatic Robot is a groundbreaking innovation developed by EPFL scientists, who have successfully created a biodegradable and non-toxic device to monitor waterways. This remarkable invention leverages the Marangoni effect, which allows aquatic insects to propel themselves across the surface of water, to create a safe and efficient alternative to traditional environmental monitoring devices made from artificial polymers and electronics.

The robot’s clever design takes advantage of a chemical reaction within a tiny detachable chamber that produces carbon dioxide gas. This gas enters a fuel channel, forcing the fuel out and creating a sudden reduction in water surface tension that propels the robot forward. The device can move freely around the surface of the water for several minutes, making it an ideal solution for monitoring waterways.

What makes this invention even more remarkable is its edible nature. The robot’s outer structure is made from fish food with a 30% higher protein content and 8% lower fat content than commercial pellets. This not only provides strength and rigidity to the device but also acts as nourishment for aquatic wildlife at the end of its lifetime.

The EPFL team envisions deploying these robots in large numbers, each equipped with biodegradable sensors to collect environmental data such as water pH, temperature, pollutants, and microorganisms. The researchers have even fabricated ‘left turning’ and ‘right turning’ variants by altering the fuel channel’s asymmetric design, allowing them to disperse the robots across the water’s surface.

This work is part of a larger innovation in edible robotics, with the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems publishing several papers on edible devices, including edible soft actuators as food manipulators and pet food, fluidic circuits for edible computation, and edible conductive ink for monitoring crop growth. The potential applications of these devices are vast, from stimulating cognitive development in aquatic pets to delivering nutrients or medication to fish.

As EPFL PhD student Shuhang Zhang notes, “The replacement of electronic waste with biodegradable materials is the subject of intensive study, but edible materials with targeted nutritional profiles and function have barely been considered, and open up a world of opportunities for human and animal health.” This groundbreaking innovation in edible aquatic robots has the potential to revolutionize the way we monitor waterways and promote sustainable development.

Eating ultra-processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies, and hot dogs may speed up early signs of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study published in Neurology. The research found that people who consumed more of these processed foods were more likely to experience early symptoms of the disease compared to those who ate very few.

The study analyzed data from over 42,000 participants with an average age of 48, who did not have Parkinson’s disease at the start of the study. They were followed up to 26 years and completed regular medical exams and health questionnaires. Researchers also reviewed food diaries that listed what participants ate and how often.

The team looked at several types of ultra-processed foods, including sauces, spreads, or condiments; packaged sweets; snacks or desserts; artificially or sugar-sweetened beverages; animal-based products; yogurt or dairy-based desserts; and packaged savory snacks. One serving was equivalent to a single can of soda, one ounce of potato chips, one slice of packaged cake, a single hot dog, or one tablespoon of ketchup.

Researchers divided participants into five groups based on how many ultra-processed foods they ate per day on average. The highest group consumed 11 or more servings daily, while the lowest group averaged fewer than three servings daily.

After adjusting for factors like age, physical activity, and smoking, researchers found that participants who ate 11 or more servings of ultra-processed food per day had a 2.5-fold higher likelihood of having three or more early signs of Parkinson’s disease compared to those consuming fewer than three servings per day.

When looking at individual symptoms, eating more ultra-processed foods was tied to an increased risk for nearly all symptoms except constipation. The study’s author, Xiang Gao, emphasized the importance of choosing whole, nutritious foods over processed ones to maintain brain health.

While the study suggests a link between ultra-processed food consumption and early signs of Parkinson’s disease, it does not prove causation. More research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the complex relationships between diet, lifestyle, and neurodegenerative diseases.

In the meantime, individuals can take steps to reduce their exposure to ultra-processed foods by:

* Reading labels carefully
* Choosing whole grains over refined ones
* Limiting sugary drinks and snacks
* Opting for fresh fruits and vegetables instead of packaged options
* Cooking meals from scratch using fresh ingredients

By making informed food choices, individuals can contribute to a healthier brain and potentially reduce their risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.