SCIENTIFIC LITERACY/ SCIENCE AND PEOPLE.

Question

INSECTS ARE IMPORTANT TO MANY ECOSYSTEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, BEES HELP POLLINATE AMNY DIFFERENT PLANTS AND MANY ANIMALS RELY ON INSECTS AS FOOD SOURCES. CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO WORK TOGETHER WITH SCIENTISTS BY COLLECTING OBSERVATION DATA ON MANY TYPES OF ORGANISMS SUCH AS PLANTS, BIRDS, OR INSECTS.
WHICH QUESTION COULD CITIZEN SCIENCE DATA ANSWER THAT BEST ILLUSTRATES INSECT POPULATION RESPONSES TO CLIMATE CHANGE?
1. WHAT TREE SPECIES PROVIDE THE BEST HABITAT BEETLE SPECIES IN THIS AREA?
2. HOW MANY DRAGONFLY SPECIES ARE NATIVE TO THE REGION?
3. HOW DOES CATERPILLAR ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION CHANGE OVER THE YEAR?
4. WHAT TYPES OF FOODS CAN BUTTERFILES EAT?

Answer 1

The question that best illustrates insect population responses to climate change is:

3. How does caterpillar abundance and distribution change over the year?

This question allows researchers to collect data on caterpillar populations and their changes in abundance and distribution, which can be influenced by climate factors such as temperature and precipitation patterns. By observing these changes over the course of a year, citizen scientists can help scientists understand how climate change may affect the life cycles and habitats of caterpillars, which can have broader implications for the ecosystems that depend on them.