Scientists warning to humanity on insect extinctions

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorCardoso, Pedroen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBarton, Philip Sen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBirkhofer, Klausen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorChichorro, Filipeen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-14T07:57:31Z
dc.date.available2022-04-14T07:57:31Z
dc.date.issued2020-02
dc.description.abstractHere we build on the manifesto 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of World Scientists. As a group of conservation biologists deeply concerned about the decline of insect populations, we here review what we know about the drivers of insect extinctions, their consequences, and how extinctions can negatively impact humanity. We are causing insect extinctions by driving habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, use of polluting and harmful substances, the spread of invasive species, global climate change, direct overexploitation, and co-extinction of species dependent on other species. With insect extinctions, we lose much more than species. We lose abundance and biomass of insects, diversity across space and time with consequent homogenization, large parts of the tree of life, unique ecological functions and traits, and fundamental parts of extensive networks of biotic interactions. Such losses lead to the decline of key ecosystem services on which humanity depends. From pollination and decomposition, to being resources for new medicines, habitat quality indication and many others, insects provide essential and irreplaceable services. We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and curb insect extinctions. An investment in researchen_ZA
dc.format12 pages
dc.identifier.otherdoi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108426
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/124458
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.rights.holderAuthors retain copyright
dc.subjectArthropodsen_ZA
dc.subjectBiodiversity lossen_ZA
dc.subjectCentinelan extinctionsen_ZA
dc.subjectEcosystem servicesen_ZA
dc.subjectThreatened speciesen_ZA
dc.subjectDrivers of extinctionen_ZA
dc.titleScientists warning to humanity on insect extinctionsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Cardoso_Barton_Birkhofer_Chichorro_Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions_2020.pdf
Size:
726.07 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main Article
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Research Articles (Conservation Ecology and Entomology)