Most people are familiar with the challenges facing many native plant and animal species these days.
There’s a lot of “buzz” (sorry – I had to do it!) around planting pollinator gardens to support bees, butterflies, and other important insects that are in decline due to habitat loss, pollution and pesticide use, and climate change. Numerous studies across the globe have revealed steep declines in insect populations.
A recent meta-study by UC-Riverside revealed a 45% decline in insect populations from all over the world over the last 40 years. The impact of insects globally cannot be overstated. Around 35% of food crops rely on insects in order to reproduce, creating the food we – as well as domestic and wild animals – eat. Insects play a critical role in waste recycling: breaking down plant waste and turning it into nutrient rich soil. Many insects, such as wasps, spiders, and many species of beetles and bugs, are important for controlling pest insects through predation as parasites on other insect pests.
Fundamentally, insects form the foundation of the food web. Numerous species of birds, mammals, reptiles and other animals rely on insects as a primary food source, and a decline in the number and species of insects could result in a calamitous collapse of the food web completely.