Why are fewer insects hitting car windshields now?

While this action may seem trivial, its greatness lies in the collectivity and synergy of citizen science projects. Campaign with nearly 700 participants Mistakes Matter In 2023, data from 6,358 trips were recorded, which will allow global conclusions to be drawn.

The results of the previous campaign (2022) showed: 64% reduction in insects caught by vehicles in less than 20 years Transit through the United Kingdom. These results support a thesis that worries scientists: we are facing a large-scale loss of insects, heading towards the sixth mass extinction.

Sixth mass extinction

The most robust research to obtain a realistic measurement is based on studies examining historical series of insect groups whose abundance has been known for decades. Unfortunately, these studies show that insect populations are not just declining in the UK.

There is a sharp decline in insects Pixabay

A 27-year study from Germany published in 2017 showed a 76% reduction in flying insect biomass in a network of natural areas.

In Denmark, a decline in insects has been documented in parallel with the decline in birds that rely on insects for their diet, such as the barn swallow.

Scientific societies of entomologists from Spain and Portugal gathered in Alicante at the XX Iberian Entomological Congress. decrease in insect populationHe expressed his concerns with a manifesto that announced this unprecedented situation to the public and tried to put an end to it.

However, the situation is not only worrying for the European continent, which is densely populated and subject to pressure from human activities. Studies conducted in a tropical forest in Puerto Rico comparing current insect abundance with data collected 36 years ago also show devastating results: a more than 78% reduction in the biomass of terrestrial insects. This study shows a parallel decline in other animals with insectivorous diets, such as lizards, frogs and birds.

Why are there fewer insects?

The reasons are many and fixed and Increasing degradation of soil, vegetation, water and air due to human activities.

Insects need the soil we turn into cement, the water that is scarce, polluted or cut off, and the plants we treat with toxic phytosanitary products. We are also disrupting the communication mechanisms necessary for insect survival. Thus, they become disoriented due to light, chemical and physical pollution of the air. The proportion of imperceptible particles that, among other things, clog sensory organs and block communication mechanisms is also increasing.

All these factors, in turn, influence climate change, which is considered an important factor regulating insect abundance.

The loss of insect biodiversity leads us to the homogenization of the branches of the tree of life that sustain vital functions and biotic relationships, thus sustaining our own existence.

Why is it important to protect them?

Insects make up more than 80% of the world’s known animal species.. It is easy to conclude that they contribute to more than one vital function. The first is their role as pollinators.

Insects perform essential ecological functions Pixabay

It is estimated that 35% of world food production comes from plants pollinated by insects. FAO warns that if they disappear, food security will be at risk.

Another irreplaceable ecological function is the decomposition of organic matter and the recycling of nutrients. Insects act as true garbage collectors and natural gardeners. Thus, they contribute to the health and formation of soil, a process necessary for maintaining food chains and the life cycle of the planet.

The ecological function of insects, which is overlooked due to their preventive nature, is that they contribute to the control, avoidance or reduction of pests in natural ecosystems.

Pest control by predators and parasitoids in natural environments teaches us how to develop biological control strategies in agriculture.

Can we do something to protect them?

Solutions to major environmental problems do not depend largely on the actions of citizens, but experience teaches us that: Many small actions produce great results. Some of the actions we have available include:

• Encourage or collaborate on citizen projects to expand insect knowledge and conservation in natural or urban areas. Examples include the SPIPOLL project, the uBMS citizen observatory for urban butterflies, and the Phenological Monitoring Program of the Spanish Network of Biosphere Reserves.

• Ensure that urban garden areas include wildlife habitat alternating with native vegetation at borders, intersections, tree holes and other unbuilt areas, providing breeding and refuge for many insect species.

• Do not use phytosanitary products in our small gardens or orchards, and do not tolerate their use in urban garden areas. Limit systematic mowing of wild plants, known as “weeds,” especially during flowering periods.

• Consume food products derived from good agricultural practices, thereby valuing and promoting organic farming, biological and integrated pest control.

• As an alternative to antiparasitic treatments for livestock, look for products that do not harm decaying entomofauna.

• Avoid introducing invasive species into our agricultural or horticultural practices.

All of us, and especially educators, have an important responsibility in showing the noble, aesthetic and indispensable face of insects to children and adults, both at home and in the center. This is an unprecedented problem on which our survival depends.

It’s worth cleaning the car windshield at any cost.

Saioa Legarrea Imizcoz He is a researcher in Agricultural Entomology at the University of La Rioja. María Ángeles Marcos García

He is an entomologist and professor at the University of Alicante.

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Reference article: https://theconversation.com/por-que-ahora-impactan-menos-insectos-en-el-parabrisas-del-coche-213571