 |
They can be seen in all the countries of the world, in the darkness of the night they fly and become dots of light. Those fireflies are now in crisis of existence.
| Scientists say the way urbanization is taking away open nature, the way people are using pesticides indiscriminately, and the way pollution is increasing, 2,000 species of fireflies are at risk of extinction. |
And in the darkness of the night, artificial light has become a big enemy for this insect. Researchers have highlighted such information in a study published in the science journal Bioscience.
Sarah Lewis, a professor of biology at Tufts University, who led the research team, told CNN that many species are losing their habitats as a result of urbanization. As a result, their very existence is at stake.
There are also many species of fireflies, whose life cycle is very important to complete the surrounding environment.
In Malaysia, for example, there are one species of firefly, which breeds in areas of mangrove vegetation. But the orchards of this East Asian country are turning into all palm oil factories and fish farms. The survival of that firefly species has become a responsibility.
Artificial lighting at night has become the second biggest threat to fireflies. With the urbanization of the last one hundred years, the use of artificial light has increased at a qualitative rate. And with the oppression of so much light, it has become difficult to spread the lineage of fireflies.
Where is the problem? The source of the light that is seen in the lower part of the firefly's abdomen is a chemical called luciferin. In the presence of the enzyme luciferase in the firefly's body, the luciferin mixes with oxygen, ATP, and magnesium ions to emit light from the firefly's body.
This chemical process is called bioluminescence. How long the light lasts depends on how much oxygen the firefly's body will supply.
The signal of this light is the language of firefly's love. The males of the species signal to the other side as soon as this light is on. The mayors also responded to the rhythmic light signal. But the houses, the streetlights, the bright lights of the billboards are standing in the way of this communication.
And the effect that the light of the city creates on the sky falls far and wide. This radiance is brighter than the light of the full moon. The firefly's light signal is lost in it.
Professor Sarah Lewis's research says that at night, 23 percent of the world is illuminated by this artificial light.
Avalon Owens, who is doing biology research at Tufts University.
CNN writes, in a similar way, people are becoming an obstacle in the normal life cycle of fireflies. In countries like Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, watching the twinkling lights play at night is becoming popular among tourists. Two lakh tourists take part in this Jonak tourism every year. The firefly's life is no longer normal. The effect of the number of fireflies in those areas is becoming clear.
0 Comments