More than just fish food: ecosystem services provided by freshwater insects

Abstract

Abstract. 1. Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 1% of the planet's surface but support up to 10% of known species. Around 25% of freshwater invertebrate species are under threat of extinction. Such a decline in species richness is likely to lead to adverse effects on the delivery of services. However, the effect of species loss on ecosystem goods and services can only be assessed once the link between species diversity and ecosystem goods and services has been established and better understood.2. Using a flexible systematic literature review search protocol, we were able to identify a range of ecosystem goods and services provided by freshwater insects in the categories of provisioning, supporting, and cultural services.3. The ecosystem services and benefits provided by freshwater insects are diverse and unexpectedly wide-ranging including decomposition and nutrient cycling, food for a wider range of species including humans, and the inspiration for art, music, and literature. Several of these have clear economic values but are not currently fully exploited.4. The identification of goods and services may bring greater appreciation and impetus to understanding the scale of their importance, economic value, and conservation. In the absence of freshwater insects, few other service providers could replicate the same level and degree of service.

Semantics of the insect decline narrative: recommendations for communicating insect conservation to peer and public audiences

“…Increasing environmental literacy and promoting understanding of the intrinsic and functional values of insects in every environment and dimension (i.e. social, ecological, economic, and cultural) are critical to enhancing public support for insect conservation and sustainable pest control (Bickford et al, 2012;Macadam & Stockan, 2015;Saunders, 2018;Lowe et al, 2019). Insects are the most diverse, abundant and complex class of organisms on Earth.…”

Evolutionary social and biogeophysical changes in the Amazon, Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Mekong deltas

“…When linked to wellbeing indicators (Table 1) these variables give valuable information on how the trajectories in food production translate into the actual availability of food to the populations living in the delta. Furthermore, we can hypothesize how increases or decreases in production feed back into important regulating services and human wellbeing indicators (Essington and Munch 2015;Macadam and Stockan 2015;Albert et al 2016;Wood et al 2016). …”

Phylogenetic diversity efficiently and accurately prioritizes the conservation of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities

“…This is a particular concern in freshwater ecosystems which are highly vulnerable (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). These ecosystems support food web processes and nutrient cycling, purify and supply high quality freshwater resources, regulate sediment and nutrient transport across the landscape, and provide an array of cultural services (Macadam & Stockan, 2015; Vörösmarty et al, 2010). Since the late 1800s, when the link between human health and water quality was formally recognized by the scientific community, freshwater systems have been monitored for conservation and restoration purposes (Bonada, Prat, Resh, & Statzner, 2006).…”

“…This gap persists in spite of the well-recognized link between land and water management (Bossio, Geheb, & Critchley, 2010), making it difficult to determine the effectiveness of restoration practices (Feld et al, 2011; Melland, Fenton, & Jordan, 2018). To assess the impact of these practices on the biotic community, many monitoring programs survey aquatic macroinvertebrates because these organisms are abundant, provide anywhere from 20-100% of the energy budget to consumers, and are sensitive to changes in water chemistry in predictable ways (Bonada et al, 2006; Macadam & Stockan, 2015). Beyond serving as a biomonitoring tool, macroinvertebrates are integral to decomposition and nutrient cycling and support $31.4 billion in recreational fishing in the US alone (Prather et al, 2013).…”