Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 108426 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Biological Conservation |
| Volume | 242 |
| Early online date | 9 Feb 2020 |
| DOIs |
|
| Publication status | Published - 9 Feb 2020 |
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Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions. / Cardoso, Pedro ; Barton, Philip; Birkhofer, Klaus ; Chichorro, Filipe; Deacon, Charl; Fartmann, Thomas; Fukushima, Caroline; Gaigher, Rene; Habel, Jan C.; Hallmann, Caspar; Hill, Matthew; Hochkirch, Axel; Kwak, Mackenzie; Mammola, Stafano; Ari Noriega, Jorge; Orfinger, Alexander ; Pedraza, Fernando ; Pryke, James; Roque, Fabio; Settele, Josef; Simaika, John ; Stork, Nigel; Suhling, Frank ; Vorster, Carlien; Samways, Michael .
In: Biological Conservation, Vol. 242, 108426, 09.02.2020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
TY - JOUR
T1 - Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions
AU - Cardoso, Pedro
AU - Barton, Philip
AU - Birkhofer, Klaus
AU - Chichorro, Filipe
AU - Deacon, Charl
AU - Fartmann, Thomas
AU - Fukushima, Caroline
AU - Gaigher, Rene
AU - Habel, Jan C.
AU - Hallmann, Caspar
AU - Hill, Matthew
AU - Hochkirch, Axel
AU - Kwak, Mackenzie
AU - Mammola, Stafano
AU - Ari Noriega, Jorge
AU - Orfinger, Alexander
AU - Pedraza, Fernando
AU - Pryke, James
AU - Roque, Fabio
AU - Settele, Josef
AU - Simaika, John
AU - Stork, Nigel
AU - Suhling, Frank
AU - Vorster, Carlien
AU - Samways, Michael
PY - 2020/2/9
Y1 - 2020/2/9
N2 - Here we build on the manifesto ‘World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of World Scientists. As a group of conservation biologists deeply concerned about the decline of insect populations, we here review what we know about the drivers of insect extinctions, their consequences, and how extinctions can negatively impact humanity. We are causing insect extinctions by driving habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, use of polluting and harmful substances, the spread of invasive species, global climate change, direct overexploitation, and co-extinction of species dependent on other species. With insect extinctions, we lose much more than species. We lose abundance and biomass of insects, diversity across space and time with consequent homogenization, large parts of the tree of life, unique ecological functions and traits, and fundamental parts of extensive networks of biotic interactions. Such losses lead to the decline of key ecosystem services on which humanity depends. From pollination and decomposition, to being resources for new medicines, habitat quality indication and many others, insects provide essential and irreplaceable services. We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and curb insect extinctions. An investment in research programs that generate local, regional and global strategies that counter this trend is essential. Solutions are available and implementable, but urgent action is needed now to match our intentions.
AB - Here we build on the manifesto ‘World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of World Scientists. As a group of conservation biologists deeply concerned about the decline of insect populations, we here review what we know about the drivers of insect extinctions, their consequences, and how extinctions can negatively impact humanity. We are causing insect extinctions by driving habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, use of polluting and harmful substances, the spread of invasive species, global climate change, direct overexploitation, and co-extinction of species dependent on other species. With insect extinctions, we lose much more than species. We lose abundance and biomass of insects, diversity across space and time with consequent homogenization, large parts of the tree of life, unique ecological functions and traits, and fundamental parts of extensive networks of biotic interactions. Such losses lead to the decline of key ecosystem services on which humanity depends. From pollination and decomposition, to being resources for new medicines, habitat quality indication and many others, insects provide essential and irreplaceable services. We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and curb insect extinctions. An investment in research programs that generate local, regional and global strategies that counter this trend is essential. Solutions are available and implementable, but urgent action is needed now to match our intentions.
KW - Arthropods
KW - Biodiversity Loss
KW - Centinelan extinctions
KW - Drivers of Extinction
KW - Ecosystem Services
KW - Threatened species
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108426
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108426
M3 - Comment/debate
VL - 242
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
SN - 0006-3207
M1 - 108426
ER -