Arthropods and Their Potential Economic Benefits

"Could a deeper understanding of arthropods lead to tangible economic benefits?"



Arthropods make up an extremely diverse range of life, and because of this, there are more potential benefits.   A deeper understanding of these creatures could certainly lead to "tangible economic benefits" in my personal opinion.

a caterpillar

I would like to use both the butterfly and moth as an example.  These arthropod's larval stage (the caterpillar) happens to be quite harmful to gardens.  If we were to do more research on the caterpillar, we would likely be able to find better ways of deterring this "pest" from our plants.  In deterring them, we would be able to produce a better harvest.

I think that I will also use the crab as an example.  Everyday we feast on crab legs, and restaurants as well as fishermen make their incomes in part because of this animal.  What if we were to conduct research on the crab that would help us to better locate them.  Perhaps we could develop a kind of "crab sonar" which would make it easier for fishermen to find large numbers of crabs.  If we could figure out exactly where the largest crab populations are, then we would be able to better fish for them, as well as protect them from over-fishing.

Just think of all the opportunities that the research of arthropods could create in the next 5-10 years!  I have no doubt that we will be making several discoveries that could aid us economically because of our research.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!

The "Kangaroo Question"

"Answer, in your own words, the "kangaroo question."  Why do some species only live in one part of the world, even though there are other environments which could be suitable?"

     The answers to this question are actually quite simple.  They might stay in the place that they live because a behavioral pattern keeps them there.  For instance, some animals might prefer to eat a certain kind of food that can only be found in a certain area.

     Another reason is that they might not be able to thrive in any other environment.  Yes, they might be able to live there, but they might not be able to thrive there.  Thriving entails their offspring being able to survive in the environment, the animals being able to avoid particular parasites or predators, etc.

     Another reason is that they might only be able to travel a very short distance in their lifetime.  For example, some bugs might be able to do just fine in multiple places of the world, but these bugs can't get there.  Unless the bug has some help from us humans of Earth, it won't live long enough to see the "land across the sea".

      Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!