Life on Earth is Mostly Spineless
Invertebrates, or “animals without backbones” are 95 to 99% of all animal species on Earth.
Their diversity is staggering, and their roles as pollinators and nutrient recyclers are unmatched. Invertebrates occupy critical roles in food webs at many levels: as primary consumers, predators, prey, decomposers and pollinators—to name a few.
The success and harmony of all animal species goes hand in hand with the survival of invertebrates, and TITAG strives to promote an awareness of this critically important relationship.
“If invertebrates were to disappear, it is unlikely that the human species could last more than a few months. Most of the fishes, amphibians, birds and mammals would crash to extinction around the same time. Next would go the bulk of the flowering plants and with them the physical structure of the majority of the forests and other terrestrial habitats of the world. The land surface would literally rot. Within a few decades the world would return to the state of a billion years ago, comprised primarily of bacteria, algae, and a few other very simple multicellular plants.”
–E.O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life
Primary Consumers
Primary consumers, also known as herbivores, are plant eaters like grasshoppers or this caterpillar. They are the link in the ecosystem between plants (which harness the energy of the sun via photosynthesis) and animals, and they pass this energy on in the food web as they are consumed.
Predators
Predators such as spiders, scorpions, and predaceous diving beetles provide an invaluable service help keep many different types of animal populations in check.
Decomposers
Decomposers perform essential functions that return nutrients to the soil by breaking down organic matter such as decaying animals, feces, rotten wood and fruit, and leaf litter.
Pollinators
Pollination is the domain of the invertebrate, with many species of flowering plants evolving in concert with the insect that pollinates it. 90% of flowering plants depend on insect pollination.