This suggests that nature isn’t a Rube Goldberg machine that some imagine. It seems that most of the commenters are also in the “life finds a way” camp, so I don’t have much to add.
The interesting questions instead need to be answered by you. If I had told you 27 years ago, that insect populations would fall by 75%, what specific effects would you have predicted? I myself would have guessed that some insect eating animal populations would shrink (presumably they have), maybe get outcompeted by plant eating populations. And maybe that some plants pollinated by insects would be outcompeted by other more independent species. But I don’t really see what should lead to catastrophe, especially not the kind that would hurt trees themselves. On the other hand, I could even imagine some forests becoming healthier due to reduction in parasites.
This suggests that nature isn’t a Rube Goldberg machine that some imagine. It seems that most of the commenters are also in the “life finds a way” camp, so I don’t have much to add.
The interesting questions instead need to be answered by you. If I had told you 27 years ago, that insect populations would fall by 75%, what specific effects would you have predicted? I myself would have guessed that some insect eating animal populations would shrink (presumably they have), maybe get outcompeted by plant eating populations. And maybe that some plants pollinated by insects would be outcompeted by other more independent species. But I don’t really see what should lead to catastrophe, especially not the kind that would hurt trees themselves. On the other hand, I could even imagine some forests becoming healthier due to reduction in parasites.