Title: What’s Causing the Sharp Decline in Insects, and Why It Matters - Yale E360
Headings: What’s Causing the Sharp Decline in Insects, and Why It Matters
Vanishing Act
What’s Causing the Sharp Decline in Insects, and Why It Matters
Scientists have described 1 million species of insects so far, and estimate at least 4 million are still unrecorded.
A recent increase in insect monitoring efforts stems from the rise of ‘citizen science’ projects.
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Content: Other pesticides are widely used worldwide. “There are many indications that what we see is the result of a widespread poisoning of our landscape,” says Leif Miller, director general of the German chapter of BirdLife International. A recent increase in insect monitoring efforts stems from the rise of ‘citizen science’ projects. Yet even environmental campaigners like Miller admit that the root causes and the full dimension of the problem aren’t yet fully understood. “ I suspect it is a multiplicity of factors, most likely with habitat destruction, deforestation, fragmentation, urbanization, and agricultural conversion being the leading factors,” says Stanford ecologist Dirzo. To understand the problem better, scientists are now urging increased monitoring efforts. Given the importance of insects for agriculture and biodiversity, one might assume that in rich countries like Germany, insect populations are being closely studied. But this is not the case. “ For the 30,000 insect species in Central Europe, only a few specialists exist, and they often carry out monitoring as a side job,” says Deckert. In-depth monitoring only exists in select regions or for specific species.