Massive insect biomass loss signals a significant threat to species diversity
In short: Researchers who analyzed hoverfly populations across six German nature reserves found that large declines in total insect biomass are predictive of a drop in species diversity. By comparing data from 1989 and 2014, the team observed that while total abundance fell, the loss of different species varied depending on how common they were.
The study used a theoretical null model to show that intermediate-abundance species are disappearing at higher rates than expected. This suggests that current environmental threats are not just affecting rare species but are also putting common ones at risk. The research is limited by its focus on a single insect family, the hoverflies.
Why it matters: Conservation efforts may need to protect common species, not just rare ones, as both are threatened by biomass loss.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Hallmann et al. (2021). Insect biomass decline scaled to species diversity: General patterns derived from a hoverfly community. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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