Climate change is increasing crop pest movements

Climate change is not only having an effect upon global temperatures, but also on the spread of diseases and insects that affect crops, according to a new study. Research performed by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford suggests that the warmer temperatures - a result of climate change - are helping to spread crop-damaging pests and illnesses around the world at an increased speed.

The new study, published in the journal 'Nature Climate Change' reveals that insects and diseases are now spreading by some two miles a year, on average, as they move towards the south and north poles. The movement is allowed to occur because areas that were previously not suitable for the pests are warming up and becoming prime locations.   

Pests and diseases are incredibly damaging to crops around the world and currently destroy between ten and 16 per cent of global crop. The pests include a wide variety of organisms, including insects, viruses, bacteria and viroids. Crop pests are constantly evolving and new strands are able to spread. The new research suggests that they will become more widespread and result in the destruction of more global crops.

More insects are now able to spread to higher regions throughout the world, as mountain warming becomes more established. Global warming, coupled with freight transportation, is also allowing pests to be introduced to areas that were previously unsuitable and inaccessible. This has led to many of the crop pests have a deleterious effect on previously unaffected regions, such as the US Pacific Northwest, which has suffered a loss of large areas of pine forest due to outbreaks of the Mountain pine beetle.

Doctor Dan Bebber from the University of Exeter said: “If crop pests continue to march polewards as the Earth warms the combined effects of a growing world population and the increased loss of crops to pests will pose a serious threat to global food security.”

The study includes information and observations over the last 50 years of 612 species of crop pests. According to the researchers, the increased movement of pests towards the north and south poles corresponds with an increase in the temperatures of previously unaffected regions in these areas.