Bats eat insects; But when a deadly disease hits bat populations, farmers use more pesticides to protect crops, leading to increased infant mortality, according to a new study.
According to a study recently published in the journal Science, farmers in counties facing declining bat populations increased their use of insecticides by 31 percent, and in those locations, infant mortality increased by about 8 percent.
Carmen Messerliana reproductive epidemiologist at Harvard, who did not participate in the study, believes that the results of the research can pave the way for future studies. According to him, new and important findings may change the way people understand the relationship between the environment and humans.
The new study tested various alternative factors to see if something else, such as unemployment or drug overdoses, might have caused the increase in child mortality. But no other factor was found to cause such an effect.
A new study shows how human health suffers when nature is out of balance
– Kim Ruff, The New York Times
Dr. Messerlian, who studies how the environment affects fertility, pregnancy, and child health, told The New York Times: “More and more research is showing the health effects of toxic chemicals in our environment, even if scientists can’t figure out the exact cause of the links.” He believes that if we can reduce widespread exposure to pesticides, we will help directly reduce mortality rates, especially among infants, and the solution to rescue is that simple.
The newly published study is the latest to show the dire consequences for humans of ecosystem imbalances. Recent research Eyal Frankstudy author and environmental economist at the University of Chicago, showed that the death of vultures in India has resulted in the deaths of more than half a million people, as rotting animal carcasses have polluted water and increased wild dog populations, which in turn have contributed to the spread of disease. Water and rabies played a role.
Dr. Frank says that we humans often pay too much attention to global extinctions, where species disappear completely; But long before it catches our attention, we begin to experience the damage caused by it.
Dr. Frank conducted an in-depth analysis to understand the connection between declining bat populations and public health. He focused on areas where white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease for bats, had been identified. By examining the data on the use of pesticides by farmers and the health consequences, he discovered the alarming trend of increasing infant mortality.
Dr. Frank used basic and advanced statistical techniques to confirm his findings, and the results were similar. The disappearance of bats, which normally control insect populations, has forced farmers to rely more heavily on chemicals. Dr. Frank estimated the number of infant deaths from 2006 to 2017 in 245 counties affected by white nose syndrome to be 1,334.
White nose syndrome is a disease caused by a fungus that attacks animals during hibernation, and three species of bats in North America have died due to it. Researchers first discovered sick and dying bats with white muzzles on their noses, ears, and wings in the northeastern United States in the mid-2000s. The fungus may live on clothing, shoes, and equipment, so scientists believe it probably came to North America from Europe. Since then, bats with white-nose syndrome have been confirmed in 40 US states and 9 provinces. Researchers are trying to find ways to help bats survive the disease.
More broadly, 52 percent of bat species in North America face a high risk of population decline within the next 15 years due to a variety of factors, including habitat loss, global warming, and impacts from wind turbines.
The important role of bats in pest control is ignored by the public
While biologists have long recognized that bats play an important role in controlling insect pests, their importance is often overlooked by the public. Ecosystems are complex and have many interconnected relationships that scientists do not yet fully understand, making measuring biodiversity extremely challenging. However, economists struggle to do so.
Dr. Frank is looking for natural experiments to study and discovers the case of bats by accident. After downloading some data from the US Geological Survey, he didn’t have the patience to start analyzing it and instead began searching to see what other information was available on the website and came across an article about bats and white-nose syndrome. From his training in ecology, Dr. Frank knew that bats were important for insect control and pollination, and as an economist, he knew he had stumbled upon a rare occurrence.
Dr. Frank believes that watching the disease spread from county to county and devastate bat populations fueled his passion for economics. He sees the research and action as an ideal natural experiment that provides a rare opportunity to study the effects of large-scale and meaningful bat population changes; Something that is impossible to replicate through direct manipulation of nature.
A previous study estimated that bats likely save farmers billions of dollars in annual pest control, and another study found that in areas affected by white-nose syndrome, the cost of renting farmland decreased.
