Link: https://klimanachrichten.de/2024/12/12/fakten-fakten-fakten/
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Facts, facts, facts
December 12, 2024 by ClimateNews Editor
What is more important for insect diversity? Land use or climate? Ingenieur.de answers these questions.
The study's results clearly demonstrate that land use is the key factor determining insect distribution and diversity. Different land-use types, such as arable land, forests, and residential areas, significantly influence biomass and species composition. In particular, heterogeneous vegetation structure contributes to increased biodiversity. Areas with diverse vegetation experience an increase in insect biomass of up to 56%. At the same time, biodiversity increases by up to 58%. +++
Link: https://www.ingenieur.de/technik/fachbereiche/umwelt/art-derlandnutzung-ist-wichtiger-fuer-die-insektenvielfalt-als-das-klima/
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Senckenberg study December 11, 2024
Land use is more important for insect diversity than climate
Land use influences insect diversity more than climate. Protecting insects in the wrong places could further reduce diversity.
The type of land use is more important for insect diversity than climatic conditions. To date, the wrong priorities have been set for insect conservation.
Photo: PantherMedia / Birgit Urban
A recent study by the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum in Frankfurt shows that insect diversity in Germany depends far more on land use than on climatic conditions. This finding challenges previous assumptions that emphasized the influence of climate change. Therefore, conservation efforts are often focused on the wrong areas.
The researchers emphasize that habitats with low-growing vegetation, such as meadows and fallow land, can contain up to 58% more biodiversity than forested areas. However, in many places, adequate protection for these species-rich areas is lacking. This poses a significant risk for further loss of insect diversity.
Table of contents
Why insects are essential for the ecosystem
How modern technologies provide new insights
Land use as a key factor for biodiversity
The relationship between biomass and biodiversity
Why insects are essential for the ecosystem
Insects play a key role in nature. They pollinate plants, including numerous crops that are essential for our nutrition. At the same time, they contribute to soil fertility by decomposing organic matter. They also serve as an essential food source for many other animal species.
Their decline threatens not only the stability of ecological systems but also people's livelihoods. "To stop the decline in insect populations, we must identify the root causes and analyze which insect groups require special protection," explains Prof. Dr. Peter Haase, who led the study.
How modern technologies provide new insights
The researchers used one of Germany's most comprehensive insect datasets, generated by a network of 75 so-called Malaise traps. These traps are strategically distributed throughout Germany and record the diversity of flying insects. Using the innovative metabarcoding method, the DNA of the collected insects was analyzed.
This method enables the rapid and cost-effective identification of thousands of species at once, as mixed DNA samples are sequenced and compared with reference databases. "Since monitoring began in 2019, we have identified approximately 31,846 insect species from over 2,000 samples, including approximately 8,000 species previously unknown in Germany," reports James S. Sinclair, the study's lead author. These results illustrate how little is known about Germany's insect world.
Land use as a key factor for biodiversity
The study's results clearly demonstrate that land use is the key factor determining insect distribution and diversity. Different land-use types, such as arable land, forests, and residential areas, significantly influence biomass and species composition. In particular, heterogeneous vegetation structure contributes to increased biodiversity. Areas with diverse vegetation experience an increase in insect biomass of up to 56%. At the same time,
biodiversity increases by up to 58%.
What is worrying, however, is that many of these species-rich areas are not covered by conservation programs. This is a critical issue, especially in the context of international biodiversity goals such as the EU Nature Restoration Law and the KunmingMontreal Global Biodiversity Framework. "To achieve these goals, unforested areas with high habitat diversity at lower elevations should also be increasingly integrated into conservation concepts," emphasizes Haase.
The relationship between biomass and biodiversity
A central aspect of the study is the direct link between biomass loss and species decline. This connection shows that the frequently observed biomass decline also indicates reduced ecosystem stability.
When biomass decreases, this means that insect diversity and thus their ecological functions are diminishing. "Our research shows not only how diverse and yet unknown the German insect world is, but also how fragile their habitats are," Sinclair summarizes.
The study's findings provide important clues as to how the decline in insect diversity can be halted. In addition to strengthening existing protected areas, new strategies should be developed for unforested habitats with high habitat diversity. These areas must be increasingly incorporated into nature conservation concepts to safeguard their ecological functions in the long term.
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