[PCA] ARTICLE: Opinion: Eight simple actions that individuals can take to save insects from global declines.

[Park, Margaret E]

Akito Y. Kawahara,  Lawrence E. Reeves, Jesse R. Barber, and Scott H. Black, PNAS, January 12, 2021
Insects constitute the vast majority of known animal species and are ubiquitous across terrestrial ecosystems, playing key ecological roles. As prey, they are critical to the survival of countless other species, including the majority of bats, birds, and freshwater fishes. As herbivores, predators, and parasites, they are major determinants of the distribution and abundance of innumerable plants and animals. The majority of flowering plants, the dominant component of most terrestrial ecosystems, depend on insects for pollination and hence reproduction. As consumers of waste products, insects are essential to the recycling of nutrients. Humans and their agriculture rely heavily on such “ecosystem services” provided by insects, which together have at least an annual value of ∼$70 billion (2020 valuation) in the United States. Insects also provide humans with honey, silk, wax, dyes, and, in many cultures, food. Insects have become essential subjects in medical and basic biological research. Furthermore, insects are one of the most easily accessible forms of wildlife, with a diversity of morphology, life history, and behavior that seems ready-made for inspiring appreciation of nature and its conservation. This benign characterization of insects seems self-evident now, but its emergence is historically recent, especially in the United States. In the mostly agricultural 19th century United States, political pressure generated by increasing crop losses to insects led to the creation of a government-supported corps of professional entomologists. Great advances in fundamental knowledge resulted, but entomology became closely tied to the chemical/pesticide industry, which increasingly adopted a strident insects-as-enemy dialogue, broadened to include disease vectors. The 1962 publication of Silent Spring marked a dramatic turn toward a more balanced view, but the transition has been slow, not least because the challenges of crop pest and disease vector management remain enormous.

  1.  Convert lawns into diverse natural habitats.
  2.  Grow native plants.
  3.  Reduce pesticide and herbicide use.
  4.  Limit use of exterior lighting.
  5.  Lessen soap runoff from washing vehicles and building exteriors and reduce use of driveway sealants and de-icing salts.
  6.  Counter negative perceptions of insects.
  7.  Become an educator, ambassador, and advocate for insect conservation.
  8.  Get involved in local politics, support science, and vote.


Link to article: https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002547117

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.plantconservation.org/pipermail/native-plants_lists.plantconservation.org/attachments/20210115/449bfb0a/attachment.html>