why would spraying insect posion would affect the animals as well other than insects even if the sprays did directly harm only the insects.
2007-12-27 13:11:21 · 4 answers · asked by mormar 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Animals are connected by a food web. Those that consume insects will be consumed by other animals themselves. Thus, the poisons enter the food web at the insects but can spread all throughout it (even to human beings).
Additionally, if an animal in an area feeds primarily on those insects, killing off all of those insects can greatly reduce numbers of that predator in the area. The lack of those predators can increase the numbers of its other prey.
An ecosystem is greater than the sum of its parts. Adding things (like posions) and taking things away (like insects) can have major ripples that may or may not be visible for years.
2007-12-27 13:20:30 · answer #1 · answered by Ted 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The chemical in the spray might not affect the animals in a toxic manner, but it could interfere with other aspects of their life, such as mating for example - if it masked or otherwise interfered with pheremone detection.
2007-12-27 21:24:57 · answer #2 · answered by HyperDog 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
since the poison which kills the insects is non-biodegradable
the chemicals get accumulated while moving further up the food chain. this process is also known as biological magnification.
2007-12-27 21:23:28 · answer #3 · answered by vkv 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you put poison on your corn flakes in the morning, would that affect you?
2007-12-27 21:14:14 · answer #4 · answered by John R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋