by Beth Graddon-Hodgson

It’s a long-standing debate; just how much of a role should humans be playing when it comes to the environment and their influence on the natural order of things with regards to ecosystems and the animal kingdom. There is even more controversy when humans choose to be involved to rectify species decline that have occurred as part of nature and not as a direct result of human impact. A new situation in the UK brings this debate to light.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has decided to re-integrate insect species that have become scarce due to the natural processes of nature. As far as anyone can tell, direct human impact has not been responsible for the decline of 4 insect species, including a rare form of moth (the dark bordered beauty moth. Though, some researchers have suggested it may have been because of their role at the bottom of the food chain, or changing ecosystems.

Since these four insect species have practically gone extinct, this conservation group will be breeding the insects and slowly introducing them back into their rightful place in nature. While it helps with the survival of the species, it might just be going too far since it’s messing with the natural process of evolution and a changing environment.

It’s no secret that humans in many parts of the world have decided to take over and treat the earth as theirs alone, but having caused so much harm to nature in the first place; should we be messing with self-sustaining processes in the environment, or just leave them be?

Reprinted with permission from Ecolocalizer