What If Insects Disappeared From The Planet?

Summary

The script explores the hypothetical scenario where all insects vanish, revealing their crucial role in the ecosystem. Despite their nuisance, insects are essential for pollination, food chains, and decomposition. Without them, crops would fail, animals would starve, and humans would face the dire consequence of a disrupted food web, leading to a grim future devoid of fruits, vegetables, and even staple grains.

Takeaways

• 🐜 Insects are crucial for the planet, with 90% being beneficial rather than harmful.
• 🌱 Insects outweigh humans on Earth, with ants alone being heavier than the human population.
• 🌾 Initially, farmers might celebrate the disappearance of insects due to reduced crop damage.
• 🥀 However, the absence of insects would lead to a rapid decline in food availability for humans and other animals.
• 🍎 Insects play a vital role in pollination, affecting up to 90% of our diet from flowering plants.
• 🐦 Many animals, including reptiles, birds, and frogs, rely on insects as a primary food source.
• 🌳 The loss of insects would disrupt the food chain, leading to the extinction of various animal species.
• 🌿 Without pollinators like bees and butterflies, most plant life would fail to reproduce.
• 🍇 A significant portion of human food, including fruits, vegetables, rice, and wheat, would vanish.
• 🐄 Livestock and other animals we consume would also be affected due to the lack of food sources.
• 💀 Insects are essential decomposers, and without them, the planet would be overwhelmed with organic waste.

Q & A

What would be the immediate impact on farmers if all insects disappeared?

Farmers would initially celebrate as they would no longer need to use chemicals to protect their crops from pests. However, this celebration would be short-lived due to the broader consequences of insect disappearance.

Why would the disappearance of insects lead to a rapid decline in food availability?

Insects play a crucial role in the food chain, serving as a primary food source for many animals. Their disappearance would lead to the extinction of these animals, disrupting the food chain and eventually affecting human food sources.

What percentage of insects are beneficial to humans and the planet?

90% of insects are not only harmless but also beneficial to humans and the planet, contrary to the common perception that they are mostly pests.

How much would the combined weight of all insects on Earth exceed the weight of all humans combined?

Insects would weigh approximately 300 times more than all humans combined, with ants alone weighing more than humans.

What role do insects play in the reproduction of flowering plants?

Insects are essential for the pollination of flowering plants, transferring pollen from the male anther to the female stigma, which is vital for plant reproduction.

How significant is the contribution of insects to the pollination process compared to other pollinators like birds and bats?

While birds, bats, and wind can also pollinate, most of the pollination work is done by insects such as bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and flies.

What percentage of human diet comes from flowering plants that rely on insect pollination?

Depending on individual food preferences, 50 to 90% of a person's diet comes from flowering plants that require insect pollination.

What would be the consequence for humans if the primary food sources like fruits, vegetables, rice, and wheat were to disappear?

The disappearance of these food sources would lead to a severe food shortage, threatening the long-term survival of humans regardless of their dietary preferences.

How do insects contribute to the decomposition process in nature?

Insects are major decomposers, breaking down dead organic matter such as leaves and corpses, which is essential for nutrient cycling in ecosystems.

What would be the long-term environmental impact if insects were to disappear from the planet?

The disappearance of insects would lead to an accumulation of organic waste, disrupting nutrient cycles and potentially leading to severe environmental degradation.

What is the main message of the 'WHAT IF' series regarding the importance of insects?

The series emphasizes the critical role insects play in maintaining the balance of ecosystems, the food chain, and the overall health of the planet, urging a reconsideration of their importance beyond mere annoyances.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 The Importance of Insects

This paragraph introduces the hypothetical scenario where all insects would disappear from the planet, highlighting the misconception that insects are only pests. It emphasizes the reality that 90% of insects are beneficial, contributing significantly to the ecosystem. The paragraph also points out the massive weight of insects compared to humans, suggesting the profound impact their disappearance would have on the world.

🌳 The Collapse of the Food Chain

This section delves into the consequences of a world without insects, explaining that insects are a crucial part of the food chain. The disappearance of insects would lead to the extinction of animals that rely on them for food, such as reptiles, small birds, and frogs, which would in turn affect the predators that feed on these animals. The paragraph illustrates the ripple effect that would disrupt the entire ecosystem, ultimately affecting humans as well.

🌼 The Role of Insects in Plant Reproduction

This paragraph focuses on the indispensable role insects play in the pollination of flowering plants, which make up 80% of the planet's plant life. It clarifies that while birds, bats, and wind can also contribute to pollination, insects such as bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and flies are the primary pollinators. The disappearance of insects would lead to the collapse of plant reproduction, affecting the availability of fruits, vegetables, rice, and wheat, which constitute a significant portion of the human diet.

🍽️ The Dire Consequences for Human Diet

This section discusses the impact on human food sources if insects were to vanish. It points out that between 50 to 90% of the human diet comes from flowering plants that rely on insect pollination. The paragraph emphasizes that the loss of insects would lead to a scarcity of fruits, vegetables, rice, and wheat, affecting both vegetarians and meat-eaters. It also mentions the importance of insects for the animals that humans consume, indicating that the disappearance of insects would result in a lack of food for many species, including cows, chickens, and freshwater fish.

🍃 The Role of Insects in Decomposition

The final paragraph highlights the role of insects as major decomposers in the ecosystem. It explains that insects are responsible for breaking down dead organic matter, from leaves to corpses. The disappearance of insects would lead to an accumulation of organic waste, creating an undesirable environment. The paragraph concludes by questioning the perception of insects as merely repulsive creatures, inviting the audience to reconsider their importance and reconsider joining the show for more insights.

Keywords

💡Insects

Insects are a class of invertebrates within the arthropod phylum, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body, three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and antennae. In the video's narrative, insects play a vital role in the ecosystem, serving as pollinators, decomposers, and a food source for other animals. Their disappearance would disrupt the food chain and lead to catastrophic consequences for the planet.

💡Insectophobia

Insectophobia refers to the fear of insects. The script mentions this term to highlight the common aversion some people have towards insects, which contrasts with the video's message about the essential role insects play in the environment. It is used to emphasize the irony that despite the fear or dislike of insects, their absence would be detrimental to life as we know it.

💡Pollination

Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from the male reproductive organs to the female reproductive organs of plants, enabling fertilization and reproduction. Insects, particularly bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and flies, are the primary agents of pollination. The script emphasizes that without insects, most flowering plants would fail to reproduce, leading to a collapse of plant life and agricultural crops.

💡Food Chain

The food chain represents the sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another. Insects are a foundational part of the food chain, serving as prey for various animals. The script illustrates that the disappearance of insects would lead to the extinction of insectivorous species, which would then affect predators higher up the food chain, ultimately impacting humans.

💡Decomposers

Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, returning nutrients to the ecosystem. Insects play a significant role as decomposers, particularly in breaking down dead plant and animal matter. The script points out that without insects, the decomposition process would be severely hindered, leading to an accumulation of organic waste and a disruption of nutrient cycling.

💡Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms, such as plants, animals, and microbes, interacting with each other and their non-living physical environment. The script discusses how insects are integral to the functioning of ecosystems, affecting everything from crop pollination to nutrient recycling, and their absence would lead to the collapse of these systems.

💡Crops

Crops refer to plants that are cultivated for food, animal feed, or other uses. The script mentions that farmers might initially celebrate the disappearance of insects due to reduced need for pesticides to protect crops. However, it quickly becomes clear that the loss of insect pollinators would lead to the failure of crop reproduction, threatening food security.

💡Pesticides

Pesticides are substances used to prevent, control, or kill pests that are detrimental to crops. The script suggests that without insects, the need for pesticides might decrease, but this is quickly overshadowed by the realization that the loss of insects would have far more severe consequences for agriculture and food production.

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in all its forms and interactions, including genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. The script implies that the disappearance of insects would drastically reduce biodiversity, as many species rely on insects for survival, and many ecosystems depend on the balance provided by diverse organisms.

💡Zika and Malaria

Zika and Malaria are diseases spread by certain species of insects, particularly mosquitoes. The script uses these examples to acknowledge the negative impacts some insects can have on human health. However, it contrasts this by emphasizing that the majority of insects are beneficial, and the loss of even the disease-spreading species would have broader negative effects on the ecosystem.

💡Anthropocentrism

Anthropocentrism is the belief that human beings are the central or most important species on Earth. The script challenges this perspective by illustrating that the disappearance of insects, which humans often view as insignificant or even harmful, would have dire consequences for human survival, highlighting the interconnectedness of all life.

Highlights

Insects are often misunderstood as merely pests, but 90% of them are beneficial to the planet.

Insects collectively outweigh humans by approximately 300 times, with ants alone being heavier than the entire human population.

The disappearance of insects would initially benefit farmers by reducing the need for pesticides.

However, the absence of insects would lead to a rapid decline in food availability for humans and other species.

Insects play a crucial role in the food chain, serving as a primary food source for many reptiles, birds, and frogs.

The extinction of insects would trigger a domino effect, causing the extinction of animals that rely on them for food.

80% of the world's plant life consists of flowering plants that rely on insects for pollination.

Insects are the primary pollinators, with bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and flies being the most effective.

Without insect pollinators, most plants would become extinct, affecting 50 to 90% of the human diet.

The loss of insect pollinators would lead to the disappearance of fruits, vegetables, rice, and wheat.

Insects are also essential decomposers, breaking down organic matter such as leaves and corpses.

The disappearance of insects would leave the planet with massive amounts of unprocessed organic waste.

Insects are not just pests; they contribute significantly to the balance and health of ecosystems.

The transcript challenges the common misconception that insects are only harmful and encourages a reevaluation of their importance.

The hypothetical scenario of insect extinction highlights the interconnectedness of all life on Earth.

The importance of insects extends beyond their role in food chains and pollination to include decomposition and ecosystem health.

The transcript serves as a reminder that the survival of insects is integral to the survival of all species, including humans.

Transcripts

Are you one of those people who hate these little crawling things?

Or maybe these ones with stingers creep you out more?

Have you ever wished that all the insects would just die out?

Picnics would be much more pleasant.

And so would gardening.

This is WHAT IF,

and here's what would happen

if all insects disappeared from the planet.

If you think bugs only exist to give you the creeps

and to chew on the lettuce in your garden, you're wrong.

Well, not totally wrong.

Some of them are, in fact, meant to destroy crops,

give you skin irritations in addition to painful stings,

and even worse - spread diseases like Zika and malaria.

But 90% of them are not only harmless, but beneficial to us, and to the planet.

They say, without insects, the world would fall apart.

If we put all the insects on the planet together on a scale,

they would weigh approximately 300 times more than all humans combined.

If you have insectophobia, you probably want me to stop right here.

Just let me add that, the ants alone would weigh more than all humans.

If our planet suddenly had all this weight off its shoulders,

farmers would be the first to celebrate.

They'd no longer need to pour chemicals on their crops

to save the harvest from hungry pests.

But that celebration wouldn't last long.

Because without insects, we'd all starve pretty fast.

And no, we don't mean those bold adventurers,

who snack on crickets and grasshoppers somewhere in Thailand, would starve.

Humans might be predators in the food chain,

but insects are the ones to hold this chain together.

They are food for some reptiles, small birds and frogs.

If all the insects vanished, those animals would cease to exist, too.

The animals feeding on frogs and reptiles would be the next to die off.

And then the ones further up the chain.

Eventually, this disruption would work its way up to humans.

Think you could survive by going vegan?

Wrong again.

80% of all the plant life on the planet is made up of flowering plants,

meaning they require pollination to reproduce.

Insects are the ones who make this happen,

by physically transferring pollen from a male anther to a female stigma.

You can argue that birds and bats, even wind can pollinate, too,

but most of the work is done by bees, wasps, moths, butterflies and flies.

Without them, it's 'game-over' for most plants.

Depending on what your food preferences are,

50 to 90% of your diet comes from those flowering plants.

There would be no fruit, no vegetables, no rice and no wheat.

This also means no food for cows, chickens, most freshwater fish,

and all the animals we, humans, eat.

It doesn't matter if you're a vegetarian or a meat-lover -

if the insects disappeared, you'd have no chance of long-term survival.

You'd be left to slowly starve on a planet heaped up with piles of organic waste.

Because not only do insects feed small animals and pollinate plants,

they're also major decomposers of dead stuff -

from leaves to corpses.

That wouldn't be the world you'd want to leave in.

And to be honest, not all all the insects are gross-looking,

wouldn't you agree?

wouldn't you agree? Join us next time on WHAT IF.

Join us next time on WHAT IF.