Insect decline driven by climate change and farming – report

In some parts of the world, insect numbers have declined by almost 50% as a result of climate change and intensive agriculture, a study by researchers at University College London (UCL) in the UK has found.

According to the research team, people had to acknowledge the threats posed by the human population to insects before some species were lost forever, but preserving natural habitats could help ensure that vital insects thrived.

Lead researcher, Dr Charlie Outhwaite, told BBC News that losing insect populations could be harmful not only to the natural environment, but to “human health and food security, particularly with losses of pollinators”.

“Our findings highlight the urgency of actions to preserve natural habitats, slow the expansion of highintensity agriculture, and cut emissions to mitigate climate change,” she added. The researchers collected data on a range and number of nearly 20 000 insect species, including bees, ants, butterflies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, in about 6 000 different locations.

In areas with high-intensity agriculture and substantial warming, insect numbers had plunged by 49% and the number of different species by 27%, compared with relatively untouched places that had so far avoided the most severe impacts of climate change, according to the research results published in Nature.

“Careful management of agricultural areas, such as preserving natural habitats near farmland, may help to ensure that vital insects can still thrive,” said

Dr Tim Newbold, also of UCL. – Staff reporter

FW ARCHIVE A new study has found that in areas with high-intensity agriculture and substantial warming of the climate, insect numbers have plunged by 49% and the number of different species by 27%.