Monday 6 January 2020

Reinserting Insects?

A collection of scientists have claimed that the brewing 'insect apocalypse' can be reversed if we now make dramatic, urgent changes in the ways that humans act in agriculture and other ways (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/06/urgent-new-roadmap-to-recovery-could-reverse-insect-apocalypse-aoe). They argue that we must first identify which species are the most important herbivores, detritivores, parasitoids, pollinators and food species for maintaining a healthy and diverse ecology (this, of course, will vary from area to area and people might well feel differently about some species e.g. the wasp and the mosquito). They then suggest that we must rapidly curtail the use of insecticides, as well as reducing habitat fragmentation and the introductions of alien species. I personally feel that this collective action is even less likely than coordinated efforts to limit  climate change. Hoping that I am wrong.

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