The complexity of global change and its effects on insects

Global change includes multiple overlapping and interacting drivers: 1) climate change, 2) land use change, 3) novel chemicals, and 4) the increased global transport of organisms. Recent studies have documented the complex and counterintuitive effects of these drivers on the behavior, life histories, distributions, and abundances of insects. This complexity arises from the indeterminacy of indirect, non additive and combined effects. While there is wide consensus that global change is reorganizing communities, the available data are limited. As the pace of anthropogenic changes outstrips our ability to document its impacts, ongoing change may lead to increasingly unpredictable outcomes. This complexity and uncertainty argue for renewed efforts to address the fundamental drivers of global change.

Automated summary

Global change involves multiple overlapping drivers such as climate change, land use change, novel chemicals, and increased global transport of organisms, which have complex effects on insects' behavior, life histories, distributions, and abundances. The unpredictability arises from indirect, non additive and combined effects, while limited data are available. The rapid pace of anthropogenic changes may lead to increasingly unpredictable outcomes, emphasizing the need to address the fundamental drivers of global change.