The Importance of Insects

Scudder, G. G. E.

doi:10.1002/9781118945568.ch2

Cited by 54 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 290 publications

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“…As a fundamental part of the ecosystem, changes to insect community assemblages and abundance can be detrimental to the overall system (e.g., Dirzo et al, 2014;Yang & Gratton, 2014). Insects provide many ecosystem services such as pollination and nutrient recycling (e.g., Dirzo et al, 2014;Yang & Gratton, 2014) and are the primary food resource for many mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and carnivorous plants (e.g., Scudder, 2009). Thus, a loss of insects can result in ecosystem crashes and cascades through the different levels of the food web (e.g., Scudder, 2009;Dirzo et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Insects provide many ecosystem services such as pollination and nutrient recycling (e.g., Dirzo et al, 2014;Yang & Gratton, 2014) and are the primary food resource for many mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and carnivorous plants (e.g., Scudder, 2009). Thus, a loss of insects can result in ecosystem crashes and cascades through the different levels of the food web (e.g., Scudder, 2009;Dirzo et al, 2014). The decline of insect populations is often thought to be driven by the loss and degradation of habitat (e.g., Nilsson, Franzen, & Jonsson, 2008;Winfree, Aguilar, Vazquez, LeBuhn, & Aizen, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Little evidence of a road‐effect zone for nocturnal, flying insects

Bhardwaj

Soanes

Lahoz‐Monfort

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Roads and traffic may be contributing to global declines of insect populations. The ecological effects of roads often extend far into the surrounding habitat, over a distance known as the road‐effect zone. The quality of habitat in the road‐effect zone is generally degraded (e.g., due to edge effects, noise, light, and chemical pollution) and can be reflected in species presence, abundance, or demographic parameters. Road‐effect zones have been quantified for some vertebrate species but are yet to be quantified for insects. Investigating the road‐effect zone for insects will provide a better understanding of how roads impact ecosystems, which is particularly important given the role insects play as pollinators, predators, and prey for other species. We quantified the road‐effect zone for nocturnal flying insects along three major freeways in agricultural landscapes in southeast Australia. We collected insects using light traps at six points along 2‐km transects perpendicular to each highway (n = 17). We sorted the samples into order, and dried and weighed each order to obtain a measure of dry biomass. Using regression models within a Bayesian framework of inference, we estimated the change in biomass of each order with distance from the road, while accounting for environmental variables such as temperature, moon phase, and vegetation structure. The biomass of nine of the ten orders sampled did not change with distance from the freeway. Orthoptera (i.e., grasshoppers and crickets) was the only order whose biomass increased with distance from the freeway. From our findings, we suggest that the impacts of roads on insects are unlikely extending into the surrounding landscape over a distance of 2 km. Therefore, if there are impacts of roads on insects, these are more likely to be concentrated at the road itself, or on finer taxonomic scales such as family or genus level.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Little evidence of a road‐effect zone for nocturnal, flying insects

Bhardwaj

Soanes

Lahoz‐Monfort

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Insects are a key component of urban biodiversity5, and the ecological functions they perform translate into a wide array of ecosystem services67 as well as disservices89. In forest ecosystems, Ewers et al 10.…”

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confidence: 99%

Conserving herbivorous and predatory insects in urban green spaces

Mata

Threlfall

Williams

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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Insects are key components of urban ecological networks and are greatly impacted by anthropogenic activities. Yet, few studies have examined how insect functional groups respond to changes to urban vegetation associated with different management actions. We investigated the response of herbivorous and predatory heteropteran bugs to differences in vegetation structure and diversity in golf courses, gardens and parks. We assessed how the species richness of these groups varied amongst green space types, and the effect of vegetation volume and plant diversity on trophic- and species-specific occupancy. We found that golf courses sustain higher species richness of herbivores and predators than parks and gardens. At the trophic- and species-specific levels, herbivores and predators show strong positive responses to vegetation volume. The effect of plant diversity, however, is distinctly species-specific, with species showing both positive and negative responses. Our findings further suggest that high occupancy of bugs is obtained in green spaces with specific combinations of vegetation structure and diversity. The challenge for managers is to boost green space conservation value through actions promoting synergistic combinations of vegetation structure and diversity. Tackling this conservation challenge could provide enormous benefits for other elements of urban ecological networks and people that live in cities.

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“…But more often than not, invertebrates and insects stir negative emotions, and many members of the public find insects abhorrent (Scudder 2009). The experience of fear and disgust toward invertebrates, and especially insects, is well documented (Kellert 1993;Frederikson et al 1996;Prokop et al 2011;Prokop and Fančovičová 2012).…”

Section: Emotional Response To Invertebratesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Local Insects as Flagship Species to Promote Nature Conservation? A Survey among Primary School Children on Their Attitudes toward Invertebrates

Schlegel

Breuer

Rupf

2015

Anthroz Jour Inter Peo Ani

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Flagship species play an important role in promoting nature conservation. However, although the significance of invertebrates in biodiversity and ecosystem services is undisputed, they are rarely used as flagship species. A focused approach to better understand the drivers of differences in attitudes toward invertebrates, and insects in particular, would be helpful for selecting and establishing insects as flagship species, especially in a local context for local conservation purposes. Using a standard questionnaire, a total of 363 children, predominantly aged 10 to 12 years, were asked about their attitudes toward 18 invertebrate species indigenous to Switzerland. The species, 14 insect species and four other invertebrates, were individually presented in a color photograph without any background information. Based on ordinal regression models, the survey revealed substantial affinity rating differences across the invertebrates selected. Gender, species knowledge, preferred leisure activities, and family membership of a nature protection organization proved to be significant predictors for children's attitudes in general, and for some specific species in particular. Additionally, existing species knowledge was analyzed and was found to neither depend on school location (urban/rural) nor on gender. The authors propose the inclusion of local invertebrates and species knowledge in the curriculum in early years at primary school while applying teaching methods that allow for real-life experience.

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The Importance of Insects

Cited by 54 publications

References 290 publications

Little evidence of a road‐effect zone for nocturnal, flying insects

Little evidence of a road‐effect zone for nocturnal, flying insects

Conserving herbivorous and predatory insects in urban green spaces

Local Insects as Flagship Species to Promote Nature Conservation? A Survey among Primary School Children on Their Attitudes toward Invertebrates

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