In recent years, researchers have reported alarming decreases in both the population numbers and the diversity of insects. These phenomena are often linked to the impacts of global climate change and habitat loss due to industrial agriculture. According to a study published today (April 21) in Nature, climate change and agriculture seem to have a synergistic effect on insect biodiversity, with each magnifying the declines caused by the other.
For the study, researchers from University College London (UCL) analyzed data from more than 750,000 samples of nearly 18,000 insect species that were collected from 6,000 sites around the world over the last 20 years. They compared changes over time in the samples’ reported numbers on insect populations and biodiversity to the average and maximum temperatures as well as land use at each site. Each area was categorized as having primary vegetation or low- or high-intensity agriculture. The researchers found that ...
