Question

How do Butterflies help the ecosystem?

Answer 1

Hint: The ecosystem is referred to as the structural and functional unit of ecology where the living organisms interact with each other as well with the surrounding environment. Butterflies play a very important role in an ecosystem and help it in several ways.

Complete answer:
More than 28,000 species of Butterflies are found in the entire world. These insects live and breed in a diverse range of habitats like mangroves, salt marshes, lowland areas of forest, wetlands, mountain zones, and grasslands. Butterflies are habitat-specific which means that some of the species will only be found in specific places such as only in the coastal areas or only in the mountain zones.

The importance of Butterflies in an ecosystem:
1. Butterflies are indicators of a healthy Environment: Butterflies are also referred to as the wild indicators of an ecosystem because they give us a picture regarding the health of an ecosystem at any particular time. They are naturally responsible for increasing the biodiversity of an ecosystem. An environment that attracts butterflies would also be fertile for plant growth and will also be a suitable habitat for other animals. Butterflies are quite sensitive to environmental threats like habitat destruction and climate change. A sudden decline in their population or their behavioural changes in an ecosystem could be a warning signal of an impending environmental calamity or possible habitat loss for other animals.

2. Butterflies are plant pollinators: Their primary role in the ecosystem is that of a pollinator. When butterflies visit flowers to feed on nectar, pollen grains often get stuck to their bodies. As they fly from one flower to another, they often deposit the pollen grains on another plant, allowing fertilization to take place.

3. Butterflies reduce pollution: Some species of butterflies such as monarch butterflies help in reducing air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere contribute to global warming.

Note: Butterflies are an immensely important group of ‘model’ organisms. For centuries researchers have been using them to investigate several areas of biological research, including such diverse fields as navigation, pest control, embryology, mimicry, evolution, genetics, population dynamics and biodiversity conservation.