Member-only story
Humans Are Killing Helpful Insects − These Steps Can Reduce The Harm
Insects are under pressure from several threats at once, from pesticides to habitat loss to pollution.
By , Ecologist, Binghamton University, State University of New York; and , Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Insects are all around us — an ant on the sidewalk, a bee buzzing by, a butterfly floating on the breeze — and they shape the world we experience. They pollinate flowering plants, decompose waste, control pests, and are critical links in food chains.
Despite how much humans rely on insects, our actions are . A recent study found that the United States over the . Sadly, this rate of decline is not unusual. Many studies have found that insect populations are .
To understand why this is happening, , an international research group we are part of, reviewed 175 recent studies on the causes of insect decline. We found hundreds of potential causes that are all highly connected, almost all of which stem directly or indirectly from human…
