Will The World Have to Say Goodbye To Salsa?

Salsa is an essential part of Latino dishes, but this staple sauce would soon no longer be seen on Latino tabletops as its primary ingredients -- tomatoes and chilis -- are feared to go extinct because of climate change that threats its main pollinators, the bumblebees, according to an article by Mitu.

Pollinators play an integral role towards a healthy environment. Across Latin America, bumblebees are largely responsible for the pollination of crops and bumblebees' extinction could have a major impact on the production of tomatoes and chilis.

A new study published in the journal Science has found that increasing temperatures and precipitation are increasing the species' risk of extinction. Researchers from the University of Ottawa determined the effect of climate change to 66 bumblebee species in North America and Europe, according to a report by CBS News.

The researchers also found that the likelihood of a bumblebee population surviving in a single location has declined by an average of 30 percent within one human generation.

Peter Soroye, a Ph.D. student at Ottawa and one of the study's authors, brought to Twitter the findings of the research. "We measured change in these bees a few different ways, and each one painted the same sad picture - bumble bees are vanishing very quickly in a very short time," he said. "In 25 years, the likelihood of finding a bee species declined on average by 46 percent in North America & 17 percent in Europe ."

The team also found that climate change impacts the chances of bees colonizing new areas. In addition, the decline of largest bumblebee population occurred in places where "climate change was pushing species past what they ever had to tolerate before."

Compared to honey bees, bumble bees are often larger and come in black and white varieties and often feature white, yellow, or orange stripes. This genus belongs to the Apidae family that includes different species commonly known as bumble bees.

Almost entirely covered by very silky hairs, an adult bumblebee reaches 20 millimeters or more and feeds primarily on nectar from flowering plants. Among that females the species, only females have the ability to sting.

According to the Honeybee Conservancy, the decline of bumblebee populations, which can be found on every continent except Antarctica, could also spell trouble for agriculture. These insects are vital to the world's ecosystem and are known for pollinating wildflowers and "nightshade" produce such as eggplants, blueberries, and yes, tomatoes and chilies.

Compared to honey bees and other pollinators, they are more adaptable to cooler weather. Other research has also found that the they are essential in supporting seeds and berries that other animals need in their diets. This means that the extinction of bees creates a massive disruption in the ecosystem in general.

Imagine Latin American dishes without salsa, moles, pico de gallo, ketchup, chiles rellenos and picadillo. Now imagine what the world would be without tomatoes and chilis. Not only in food and animals, but what the world will become with the loss of these tiny, but equally important, beings?

Despite the grim findings, the lead author said their research can help plan for a better future for various species.

"We've seen a lot of places where things are going badly, but we've also seen some "bright spots", where things are going well in spite of climate change. By focusing in on these places, maybe we can learn lessons that could be applied to stop declines elsewhere," Soroye wrote. "...to paraphrase auntie Michelle, 'when climate change goes low, we go high!'"

So if you want to keep your favorite salsa, start thinking about reducing your carbon footprint to help save bumblebees.