stressed farmland shows 63% decline – new research

Speed reading

• The world may be facing a devastating “hidden” collapse in insect species due to the twin threats of climate change and habitat loss.

• UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity & Environment Research has carried out one of the largest-ever assessments of insect declines around the world – assessing three-quarters of a million samples from around 6,000 sites.

• The new study was published in NatureAccording to a study, climate-stressed farms have 25% less insect species and half the amount of insects as natural habitat.

• Insect declines are greatest in high-intensity farmland areas within tropical countries – where the combined effects of climate change and habitat loss are experienced most profoundly.

• The majority of the world’s estimated 5.5 million species are thought to live in these regions – meaning the planet’s greatest abundances of insect life may be suffering collapses without us even realising.

• The negative effects of climate change and habitat loss on insects can be mitigated by reducing the intensity of agriculture, using fewer chemicals, and having more crops.

• Considering the choices we make as consumers – such as buying shade-grown coffee or cocoa – could also help protect insects and other creatures in the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.

Long read

Our planet’s future depends on the health of insects. They help to control pest species and release nutrients into the soil. Flying insects are also key pollinators of many major food crops, including fruits, spices and – importantly for chocolate lovers – cocoa.

There are increasing reports that indicate that insect populations are in decline. This is why it is of great concern. This could lead to the loss of vital ecological functions that can threaten human livelihoods, and even food security. However, our knowledge of the extent and nature of insect declines is limited across large areas of the globe.

Most of what we do know comes from data collected in the planet’s more temperate regions, especially Europe and North America. Widespread losses of pollinators are an example. Identified in Great BritainButterfly numbers have declined between 30 and 50 percent in recent years. All across EuropeA 76% decrease in the biomass of flying insects was achieved Germany reported.

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Information on the number and abundance of insect species in tropics (the regions to the east of the Equator, including Brazil, India, and Brazil) is more difficult to find. Yet the majority of the world’s estimated 5.5 million insect species are thought to These tropical regions are the best places to live – meaning the planet’s greatest abundances of insect life may be suffering calamitous collapses without us even realising.

The largest of all the 29 major insect groups is butterflies/moths; beetles; bees/wasps/ants; and flies. Each group is thought to have more than one million species. Not only is it near-impossible to monitor such a vast number, but as many as 80% of insects may not have been discovered yet – of which many are tropical species.

Responding to these knowledge gaps, researchers at UCL’s Centre for Biodiversity and Environment ResearchOne of the largest ever assessments of insect biodiversity has been done. Our study included nearly 20,000 species and three-quarters million samples from around 66,000 sites worldwide.

Insects are facing an unprecedented threat due to the “twin horsemen” of climate change and habitat loss. We looked into how insect biodiversity is being affected by these two challenges. We know that they are not isolated: habitat loss can increase the impacts of climate change by limiting shade, which could lead to higher temperatures in these areas.

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We were able to include these important interactions for the first-ever time in our global biodiversity modelling. These are our results Nature published this article today, reveal that insect declines are greatest in farmland areas within tropical countries – where the combined effects of climate change and habitat loss are experienced most profoundly.

We compared high intensity farmland sites with high levels of warming to (related) areas that are not affected by climate change. The farmland sites had a half-million less insects on average and more than 25% fewer species. Our analysis across the globe shows that farmland located in climate-stressed areas has lost 63% on average of the species found in farmland. This compares with as little 7% for farmland whose natural habitat was largely preserved.

Our study highlighted Indonesia and Brazil as areas most at risk. These areas are important because many crops depend upon insects for pollination. This has serious implications on local farmers and the wider food supply chain in these climatically or economically vulnerable areas.

Cocoa, midges & deforestation

Eighty-seven of the world’s major crops are thought to be fully or partially Dependent on insect pollinatorsMost are grown in the tropics. Midges are the primary pollinators of cocoa. These flies are notorious for causing havoc on camping trips in Scotland and other parts northern hemisphere countries. Midges play an important and under-appreciated part in pollinating cocoa to make chocolate.

Cocoa production is dominated by the Philippines. Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. The export of cocoa beans to Indonesia is worth approximately $2.5 billion US$75,000,000 per year. Cocoa production is dominated by Smallholders are more important than large plantation ownersMany farmers depend on this crop for their livelihoods. It is crucial to understand whether insect losses can make things worse for cocoa farmers. However, there is very little information about the state and biodiversity of insects in tropical countries like Indonesia.

Cocoa production is already underway in the region. Stressed by adverse weather eventsClimate change may be responsible for this. Changes in the growth, pollination, and rainfall patterns can be linked to rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns. Bean productionThe cocoa plant.

In Indonesia, agriculture is a major industry, especially in rural areas. Large areas are being cleared for agriculture. Production of key cropsAlso includes palm oil. This has led to the loss of large areas of rainforest, which has increased the risk for endangered species. Such as the orangutanThese include many insects, as well as lesser-known species.

Tropical regions are under considerable threat, primarily as a result of agricultural expansion – often to meet increasing demand from countries outside the tropics. These areas are threatened by deforestation due to the impact of international trade. Particularly vulnerable. Brazil’s and Indonesia’s high levels of deforestation are attributed to the production of commodities for export including soybean, coffee, palm oil – and cocoa.

Climate change: The threat

Habitat loss is well-known to be a major threat for biodiversity. However, the impact it has on insects is still not fully understood. Assessments of tropical species tend to remain very rare. One study showed that Brazil’s forest-dependent orchid bees have seen a decline in their numbers. Around 50%Although it only sampled their numbers at 2 time points, Only in the Americas are orchid bees important pollinators. Some orchid plants are entirely dependent on them for their pollination.

Climate change is another threat to insect biodiversity, adding to the deforestation and longer-term habitat changes. Already, this rapidly-emerging threat has been implicated in the loss of insect biodiversity. Costa Rica sees a decline in mothsAnd Bumblebees in North America and Europe. Two of the most damaging effects on many insect species are rising temperatures and frequent extreme weather events such as droughts.

It is predicted that climate change will have a particularly big impact in the planet’s tropical regions. Temperatures in the tropics are naturally quite stable, so species aren’t used to coping with the fast changes in temperature We are witnessing climate change.. However, we are unable to fully understand the impact of this on tropical insects due to a lack data. Almost all of the available data comes from only a few very well-studied groups of insects – in particular, butterflies, moths and bees – while many other groups receive very little attention. Despite a big increase in studies of insect biodiversity change, there is still much we don’t know.

Insects are often overlooked

Our study has evaluated three-quarters to a million samples from insects from all over the globe to help fill this knowledge gap. Nearly one-third of the 6,000 sites are from tropical regions. We have samples from nearly 20,000 different species of insects, including beetles.

This was possible because of the use PREDICTIONSA biodiversity database that brings together millions of samples from researchers around the world. PREDICTS tracks biodiversity in natural habitats as well as in areas used for crop production by humans, among other purposes. It is one of the few global databases that allows us to study changes in biodiversity across the globe.

Our sample of 20,000 insects is only a fraction the diversity of insect species. However, it is still representative of more sites than ever before. We were particularly interested in it because we could see how habitat loss and climate changes affect insect biodiversity. This allowed us to include these interactions in the models for first time.

These twin conditions are most evident in farmland located in tropical countries. Our results show that farmland in these areas has lost a lot more insect biodiversity than primary vegetation. This shows that climate change could pose a serious threat to food security, not only through direct impacts on crops but also through the loss of important insects like pollinators.

Climate change is already making it more difficult to grow cocoa and other crops within their current geographic ranges. This is threatening local livelihoods and reducing availability of these crops for consumers around the globe. This risk will only increase due to the insect losses that our study shows. In fact, food security is at risk from the loss of insect biodiversity in temperate and tropical areas. For example, evidence has been shown that blueberries, cherry, and apple have had lower yields due to a shortage of pollinators. The US produces.

Farmers in some parts of the world are turning to hand-pollinating techniques to pollinate their crops’ flowers. This involves using a brush to pollinate the flowers with the help of a brush. Hand pollination is a method of pollinating crops. Used in cocoa production in many countriesThese include Indonesia and Ghana. These techniques can increase or maintain yield, but they come with a high labour cost.

Reducing the declines

Our study also highlighted changes that could reduce the decline of insect populations. Lowering the intensity of farming – for example, by using fewer chemicals and having a greater diversity of crops – mitigates some of the negative effects of habitat loss and climate change. We show that maintaining natural habitat within farmed areas is beneficial for insects. In areas where farmland is in climate-stressed regions shows insect reductions of 63%, the average number of insects drops to 7% if three-quarters of the natural habitat has been preserved.

For insects that live on farmland, natural habitats provide shelter, food, nesting areas, and shelter from the heat. This is good news because it gives hope that the planet will continue to warm but that there are still ways to decrease the impacts on insect biodiversity.

Even though it is smaller scaled, natural habitat availability has had a positive impact on agricultural systems. In Indonesian cocoa, it was found that increasing natural habitat can boost the numbers of key insects. including pollinators. However, our new study shows that this intervention only has benefits in less intensive farming systems. This could be done by reducing the amount of pesticides and fertilisers used, or increasing the diversity of crops to reap the benefits of the natural habitat.

It’s also important to note that not all species are enduring a hard time as a result of recent pressures. Recent research on UK insects has shown that some species have declined while others, including freshwater bugs, have increased in number. IncreasedIn Recent years. Another StudyAn increase in the number of freshwater insects was also observed when we looked at global insect trends. Many of these positive trends were reported in non-tropical areas such as Europe and the UK. There has been a lot of work done to improve the water quality in rivers, especially in the wake of past degradation.

Making a difference

Many of us were inspired by the COVID-19 lockdowns to reconnect with the fauna and flora around us. The UK saw an increase of insects in the countryside due to the warm spring weather in 2020. This spike was likely temporary and was not consistent with the larger picture.

To increase insect biodiversity in our local environment, we can plant diverse plants to attract insects, reduce the use of pesticides in gardens and allotments, as well as reduce the frequency we mow our lawns. (In the UK, consider joining the No Mow May Challenge.) But we can make a difference not only locally. The choices we make as consumers can help protect the tropics and other creatures. Shade-grown coffee and cocoa, for example, will have a lower impact on biodiversity than open-plan crops.

Governments and other public and private organizations should examine the impact of their actions and policies on insects. This could include ensuring that products are not sourced in areas with high deforestation rates and proper consideration of biodiversity in trade agreements and policies.

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And then there’s the data issue. We are becoming more aware of the importance of insects in human health and well-being, as well as their crucial role in global food production. The future of human societies will be greatly impacted by the protection of the environment. But, without data, all of this is impossible.

A key step in improving our understanding of the changing dynamics of insect biodiversity is to combine and evaluate existing data. We are part of a new initiative. GLiTRS (GLobal Insect Risk-Response Sythesis)This is done by bringing together the expertise of top experts from a variety of institutions and ecological disciplines, as well as data analysts. The project will then evaluate how different insect groups respond to certain threats.

It is crucial to understand what is causing the decline of insects. This will help prevent even more losses in the future and protect the valuable functions they perform. Climate change and biodiversity loss are two major global crises. Two sides to the same coin. They have a combined impact on food production, which means that many people in the tropics are at risk of losing their health, well-being and livelihoods. The story of biodiversity loss in insects is a critical, but not well-known, part.

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