Excellent special edition on global #insectdeclines published today in @PNASNews. Contains 13 articles available here:
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2#TheGlobalDeclineofInsectsintheAnthropoceneSpecialFeature
In this thread, I’ll highlight some of the articles that stood out to me [1/10]
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2#TheGlobalDeclineofInsectsintheAnthropoceneSpecialFeature
In this thread, I’ll highlight some of the articles that stood out to me [1/10]
‘Insect decline in the Anthropocene: Death by a thousand cuts’
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2023989118
This excellent introduction by David Wagner, @ElizaGrames, et al. sets out the state of knowledge on insect declines, including the many factors likely to be implicated. [2/10]
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2023989118
This excellent introduction by David Wagner, @ElizaGrames, et al. sets out the state of knowledge on insect declines, including the many factors likely to be implicated. [2/10]
Peter Raven and David Wagner say agriculture is the leading cause of insect decline: “In all parts of the world, agricultural intensification seems to be a prime driver”, although they also discuss the threat of climate change. [3/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002548117
Describing themselves as human ‘insectometers’, Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs argue that declines and losses of tropical insects are real. And they say these are accelerating. The authors almost entirely blame climate change. [4/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002546117
Next up, @martinswarren et al. look at Europe's butterflies. Main problems are habitat loss, agricultural intensification, nitrogen deposition, and climate change.
To reverse declines, habitat creation/management is needed at landscape-scales [5/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002551117
To reverse declines, habitat creation/management is needed at landscape-scales [5/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002551117
David Wagner, @RichardFoxBC et al. demonstrate the complexities and heterogeneity of insect declines using moths. They consider the main threats to moths globally to be land-use changes (inc. agricultural intensification) and climate change. [6/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002549117/
Timothy Schowalter et al. look into the 2018 Lister & Garcia study (which reported a huge drop in rainforest insects). By analysing 29 years of data from the same forest, this new study argues there has been no clear decline in numbers. [7/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002556117
Hallmann et al. look at hoverflies in German Malaise traps. Common species are declining faster than rare hoverflies. As conservation seldom focuses on common species, new solutions may be needed to halt biomass declines. [8/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002554117
Toke Høye et al. use a 24-year pit-fall trap dataset to examine arthropod abundance and diversity in the Arctic. They found nonlinear, opposing trends, and little evidence of overall population change over the study period. [9/10] https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002557117
Finally, @Dr_Akito et al.’s piece detailing 8 ways we can all help our insects. Replacing manicured lawns with more natural habitats, planting native plants, reducing chemical use, limiting outdoor lighting, and voting! [10/10] #ConservationOptimism https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002547117