Declining number of insects in Europe due to climate changes over the

years

Ecosystems have an essential role in providing services to humankind such as nutrient cycling,
pest control, pollination, quality of life, and hydrological, atmospheric, and climatic regulation.
About 60% of the world’s known ecosystems are currently used unsustainably. In Europe, the
richness and abundance of biodiversity are undergoing a significant decline, partly due to
climate change. Anthropogenic climate change is already having a consequence on species, and
its rapid onset is limiting their ability to adapt to their habitat. At least 10,967 species on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species are currently threatened by climate change, increasing the
likelihood of their extinction.

I have made comprehensive research to get a full understanding of the topic. I have found
several scientific documents during the time of my research. The topic is kind of a challenging
one but after some digging on the internet, I was able to find it. “Google scholars and Science
Direct” were helpful to find my articles. While I was choosing which document to use I made
criteria that assisted me. My criteria were that the document must have a context including
animal extinction and insect amount declining if possible. To understand that I generally read
the introduction and abstract of the project. Those criteria have helped me eliminate some
documents and remain with the most useful ones. Here is the list of scientific documents
related to the topic:

(1) Sánchez-Bayoa, F. and Wyckhuys, K.A.G. Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its
drivers. Biological Conservation (2019). link: 10.1016/j.biocon.2019.01.020

(2) Hallmann, C.A. et al. More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in
protected areas. PLoS One (2017). link: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185809

(3) Lister, B.C. and Garcia, A. Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure

a rainforest food web. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2018). link:
10.1073/pnas.1722477115

(4) Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P.R., and Dirzo R. Biological annihilation via the ongoing sixth mass extinction
signaled by vertebrate population losses and declines. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
(2017). link: 10.1073/pnas.1704949114
(5): M. Benjamin Balique, M. Luc Belzunces, M. Stéphane Boyer…… (assemblée nationale) , les notes scientifiques
de l’office (office parlementaire d‘évaluation des choix scientifique et technologique), note n°30,
December 2021, link :http://www.senat.fr/fileadmin/Fichiers/Images/opecst/quatre_pages/
OPECST_2021_0064_Note_Declin_insectes.pdf

‘A recent study of several protected areas in Germany found that insect populations have been
steadily declining over the past 30 years. They also found a staggering 76% decline in the
biomass of flying insects, suggesting an annual loss of 2.8% of insect biomass (2). Another
recent study in Puerto Rico found similar losses of about 2.5% per year (3).

This latest study reviewed 73 historical reports on insect losses worldwide to identify the most
important factors and likely future impacts. This is the first study to examine insect data and
the first to examine all data from different parts of the world at the same time.

Pollution from agricultural practices, including the widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers
addition, the new synthetic pesticides that have been used over the last 20 years are
considered particularly harmful.

Source: Rodolfo Dirzo et al (2014).

Defaunation in the Anthopocene. Science. Vol 345”

This study, along with other recent research, adds to the evidence that human behavior has a
huge impact on wildlife populations. A sixth mass extinction event is indeed imminent (4). But
identifying the possible drivers of insect losses could help guide appropriate conservation
strategies that could at least mitigate or even reverse previous declines and, more importantly,
"maintain the vital ecosystem services they provide".
“Another study looked at five orders of insects (included in the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. 33% are in decline, with a strong variation between
orders (20% of odontopleurids, 100% of orthopterans, and 60% of beetles are in decline)
(Figure A above). Within these five orders, there are many more declining species than
expanding species. In the UK, for four insect orders, the decline in numbers over the last 40
years ranges from 30 to 60% (Figure B above). In general, based on long-term monitoring of a
sample of 432 species, there is a 45% decline over the last 45 years for 2/3 of the taxa, although
the decline is less severe for Lepidoptera than for other orders (Figure C above). Therefore,
when using Lepidoptera to describe insect declines (because this order has the most accurate
data), we tend to underestimate them.” [5]

Overall, insect species would decline twice as much (41%) as vertebrates, while native species
would disappear eight times faster (10%). Currently, about one-third (31%) of the world's insect
species are threatened with extinction by IUCN standards. In addition, 1% of insect species are
added to this list each year, which would result in the world losing 2.5% of its biomass each
year. Insect decline remains a complex phenomenon.

I believe the resources are reliable enough to prove that the question of “is there any data
available to identify the causes of the decline of insects population in Europe” can be answered
with currently available documents presented to the public. Our 5th resource was touching the
point of declining numbers through data presented officially. Numbers won’t lie. We must rely
on the numbers to realize that extinction is real and happening as it was before. The
combination of our first 4 resources also comes with historical reports taken around Europe.
There are more documents to add to these which I tried to summarize. With the information
available on the web, we can answer the question.

In conclusion, what I have learned from reading these resources is that extinction is real. The
decline of insect populations in Europe is a complex problem with many causes. Habitat loss,
the use of pesticides, climate change, and the spread of diseases are all important factors that
contribute to this decline. To protect insect populations, it is necessary to address these issues
and develop conservation strategies that consider the unique needs of different insect species.