Insect extinction: introduction to special issue

Córdoba‐Aguilar, Alex; Roitberg, Bernard D.

doi:10.1111/een.13044

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Alarming news are piling up about the loss of global biodiversity (Dirzo et al, 2014), as highlighted by converging reports from IUCN, WWF and IPBES (IPBES, 2019; IUCN, 2020; Living Planet Report, 2020). In particular, a series of recent studies have drawn attention to the decline of insects worldwide (Córdoba‐Aguilar & Roitberg, 2021; Didham et al, 2020; Jactel et al, 2020; Wagner et al, 2021). Among the best‐studied insects, carabids show the same signs of severe decline, with losses around 30%–50% in Europe during the last 30–50 years (Brooks, Bater, et al, 2012; Brooks, Storkey, et al, 2012; Hallmann et al, 2020; Homburg et al, 2019; Kotze & O'Hara, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring tree species mixtures mitigates the adverse effects of pine monoculture and drought on forest carabids

Jouveau

Poeydebat

Castagneyrol

et al. 2022

Insect Conserv Diversity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Habitat degradation and climate change are main drivers of insect species loss worldwide, raising concern about natural forest replacement by tree monocultures in a context of more frequent disturbances like drought. Carabid beetles are emblematic species in ecology because they are often used as indicators of biodiversity and they have important functional roles, particularly predation. We used a tree diversity experiment with half of the plots irrigated and the other half under summer water stress to test the combined effects of tree species mixing and drought on carabid species and functional diversity. We observed a qualitative effect of drought on carabid communities, with species turnover mainly due to predator species loss in the drier (non‐irrigated) plots. We also found that species richness and activity density were lowest in pure pine plots and highest in mixture of pine and birch at low tree density. The likely underlying mechanism is the better provision of food and shelter resources in mixed forests. The association of pine with birch species could compensate for the loss of carabid beetles observed between pine monocultures benefiting from the water regime of the last century and those subject to current droughts. This suggests that diversifying plantation forests is a promising way to increase their resilience to the adverse effects of climate change.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring tree species mixtures mitigates the adverse effects of pine monoculture and drought on forest carabids

Jouveau

Poeydebat

Castagneyrol

et al. 2022

Insect Conserv Diversity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Land use changes have a significant impact on the diversity of terrestrial insects, leading to species extinction and population declines (Cardoso et al, 2020; Córdoba‐Aguilar & Roitberg, 2021; Sánchez‐Bayo & Wyckhuys, 2019; van der Sluijs, 2020). To assess these impacts, studies on biodiversity have introduced an additional component known as functional diversity, which allows us to determine changes in ecosystem properties and consequently improve our understanding of ecosystem functions and services (Casanoves et al, 2011; de Bello et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem functions and functional traits for the study of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

García‐Atencia,

Bonilla‐Gómez,

Moreno

2024

Ecological Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Owing to the rapid and ongoing anthropogenic changes impacting ecosystem functions and their interplay with biodiversity, there is a growing focus on assessing insect functional diversity. This emphasis helps to unravel key roles of insects on ecosystem processes and to identify the assembly mechanisms that regulate species coexistence. The ecological functions of phytophagous scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) have been relatively unexplored, and potential functional traits are scattered throughout the literature. Species within this group exhibit diverse lifestyles, forms and sizes. They exploit various resources such as decomposing wood, foliage, roots and flowers, with a small subset identified as predators. Although many of their representatives are significant agricultural pests, information on their contributions in natural ecosystems has not been consolidated. This study reviews the ecological functions potentially carried out by phytophagous scarab beetles and proposes functional traits to be incorporated into studies of functional diversity. Through this, the goal is to integrate the scattered information, stimulate the generation of questions that go beyond classical ecological theory and contribute to advancing our knowledge of their ecosystem functions, as well as the foundations for understanding community structure. We propose to use trophic groups to define functions such as bioturbation, organic matter decomposition, biological control and potential pollination. A simplified list of functional traits was obtained by conducting correlation analyses using a trait matrix from a region in northern Colombia. This represents a significant advance for the study of traits within the framework of functional ecology, applicable to territorial planning and biodiversity conservation.

show abstract

Research networks should improve connectivity for halting freshwater insect extinctions

Valente‐Neto

Piovezan-Borges

Urbieta

et al. 2021

Ecological Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

1. Avoiding freshwater insect extinctions requires studies assessing causal links between a human pressure and biodiversity measures (threats), the state of biodiversity through time (status), and solutions to manage species loss. However, an imbalance between these different approaches on declines of freshwater insects and the distribution of the studies between countries may have implications for implementing conservation knowledge into practical conservation actions. 2. Here, we evaluate country co‐authorship relationships through quantitative bibliometric analysis to identify networks of research collaboration on freshwater insects extinction, and how this overall network is modified by the type of studies (status, threats, and solutions). 3. We detected that authors from developed countries dominated the networks, and most studies assessed threats to freshwater insects, knowledge which is part of a research network involving multiple countries. The status network of research collaboration was clearly more disconnected in comparison with the network of all studies, whereas the solution network showed the greatest connectivity. 4. These results reveal that an increase in research collaboration is required for all approaches assessed here, because many megadiverse countries are not present in the networks. This is especially required for status and solution studies. Expansion of research collaboration should decrease inequalities between developed and developing countries, achieved by funding conservation studies in developing countries. Studies should also decrease classical inequalities, including those related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethnic minorities. These recommendations would benefit freshwater insect conservation science and practice.

show abstract

Insect extinction: introduction to special issue

Cited by 3 publications

References 12 publications

Restoring tree species mixtures mitigates the adverse effects of pine monoculture and drought on forest carabids

Restoring tree species mixtures mitigates the adverse effects of pine monoculture and drought on forest carabids

Ecosystem functions and functional traits for the study of phytophagous scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Research networks should improve connectivity for halting freshwater insect extinctions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About