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[44]Science & Environment
[45]Science & Environment

Nature crisis: 'Insect apocalypse' more complicated than thought

By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent
* 23 April 2020

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butterfly Image copyright Getty Images

The global health of insect populations is far more complicated than
previously thought, new data suggests.

Previous research indicated an alarming decline in numbers in all parts
of world, with losses of up to 25% per decade.

This new study, the largest carried out to date, says the picture is
more complex and varied.

Land-dwelling insects are definitely declining the authors say, while
bugs living in freshwater are increasing.
* [65]Humans 'threaten 1m species with extinction'
* [66]Exploiting nature 'drives outbreaks of new diseases'
* [67]Insect decline may see 'plague of pests'
* [68]Cranes make comeback in Britain's wetlands

Reports of the rapid and [69]widespread decline of insects globally
have caused great worry to scientists.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mayflies have benefitted
from cleaner water legislation

The creatures are among the most abundant and diverse species on the
planet and play key roles, from aerating the soil to pollination and
recycling of nutrients.

Case studies, [70]such as one from nature reserves in western Germany,
indicated a dramatic fall, with around a 75% decrease over 27 years.

Many other, [71]similar reports have followed.

But many of these were specific to a region or a species.

This [72]new study, the largest on insect change to date, aims to give
a more complete understanding of what's really happening to bugs
worldwide.

Drawing on data from 166 long-term surveys across 1,676 sites, it
paints a highly nuanced and variable picture of the state of insect
health.
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Grasshoppers are one of the
species to have suffered significant declines

The compilation indicates that insects like butterflies, ants and
grasshoppers are going down by 0.92% per year, which amounts to 9% per
decade, lower than many published rates.

This is not as bad as previous reports but the authors stress that it
is still substantial.

"That is extremely serious, over 30 years it means a quarter less
insects," said lead author Dr Roel Van Klink, from the German Centre
for Integrative Biodiversity Research.

"And because it's a mean, there are places where it is much worse than
that."

Many people have an instinctive perception that insects are decreasing
- often informed by the so-called "windscreen phenomenon", where you
find fewer dead bugs splattered on cars. The researchers say it's real.

"Many insects can fly, and it's those that get smashed by car
windshields," said Prof Jonathan Chase, another author from the German
Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research.

"Our analysis shows that flying insects have indeed decreased on
average."
Image copyright Oliver Thier Image caption Water-based insects such as
common water striders have increased in numbers

"However, the majority of insects are less conspicuous and live out of
sight - in the soil, in tree canopies or in the water."

The losses were strongest in the US West and Midwest and in Europe,
especially in Germany.

Trends in Europe have become more negative in recent years, with the
biggest declines since 2005.

However while many land-based species are declining, the new study
shows that insects that live in fresh water, like midges and mayflies,
are growing by 1.08% per year.

This positive trend was strong in northern Europe, in the western US
and since the 1990s in Russia.

The researchers believe this is because of legislation that has cleaned
up polluted rivers and lakes.

However the increase in water based insects will not compensate for
land losses.

"They are just a fraction of land based insects, not more than 10%,"
said Dr Van Klink

"The area of freshwater we have on earth is just a small percentage of
the total land mass, so the numbers of freshwater insects will never be
able to compensate for the terrestrial insects."

The scientists say there is no smoking gun on insect declines but they
find the destruction of natural habitats due to urbanisation, to be
key.

This finding about habitat destruction has been echoed in other major
pieces of research on biodiversity, including last year's [73]IPBES
Global Assessment.
Image copyright Gabriele Rada Image caption A European orchard bee
helping to pollinate some flowers

The overall picture is complex - even in close geographical areas, some
insects can be doing well next door to members of the same species who
are struggling.

Ann Swengel, another author on the paper has spent more than 30 years
studying butterflies in parts of the US.

"We've seen so much decline, including on many protected sites. But
we've also observed some sites where butterflies are continuing to do
well," she said.

"It takes lots of years and lots of data to understand both the
failures and the successes, species by species and site by site."

While the findings are complicated the authors believe they offer hope
for the future.

"We believe that because we see these increases in fresh water insects,
that are related to legislation being put in place, it makes us hopeful
that if we put in place the right types of legislation for land insects
we can also make them recover," said Dr Van Klink.

"The nice thing about insects is that most have incredibly large
numbers of offspring, so if you change the habitat in the right way we
will see them recover really fast."

The [74]study has been published in the journal, Science.

Follow Matt [75]on Twitter.

Related Topics

* [76]Biodiversity
* [77]Insects
* [78]Extinction

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