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75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

journals.plos.org

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Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#51

Post by DanielleMolloy »

This kind of data should be collected on multiple places in the world. Given such findings we should thoroughly watch our ecosystems.

I have been in Japan during summer this year and (gotten used to the central-European ecosystems where the data for this paper has been collected) was surprised by the amount of insects and especially butterflies, which I had rarely seen for years. Is this just the climate (which also grows some giant insects) or could there be something different at play?

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#52

Post by anvandare »

nostromo95 wrote: post #48
anvandare wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sometimes wonder what people were thinking or doing, in the days before a calamity. In Pompeii, in Lisbon, in Hiroshima, ... Unaware of what was about to happen to them. Just living their daily lives. I also sometimes wonder if future people will have reason to think of us in a similar way, when I hear of news like this, or the clathrate gun hypothesis.

>Hiroshima Don’t know if you’ve ever read this, but here you go: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1946/08/31/hiroshima

I had read some brief stories before (or seen them read out in a documentary) but this one I had not yet read. Thank you.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#53

Post by ChuckMcM »

MrBuddyCasino wrote: post #36
avip wrote: post #3

Yes. This is a case of hard data confirming what we already know. As in - few types of butterflies I used to like, and see yearly as a kid - are gone. I see them now once in 5 years, if lucky. I bring my kids to look because it's a first time for them. On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. They were not here 20-30 years ago. Now, what are the consequences of all…

This is making the headlines in Germany right now: http://www.zeit.de/wissen/umwelt/2017-10/insektensterben-flu... http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/insekten-in-deutsch... http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/insektensterben-dramatisch... Der Spiegel discusses issues in the methodology of the data collection. The intervals over the years weren't uniform, data was collected by volunteers/hobbyists and they did not…

The massive use of neonicotinoides would not surprise me given the research of its impact on bee colony collapse.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#54

Post by ChuckMcM »

wazoox wrote: post #9

My feeling: brace for systemic collapse.

Depends on how widely you define system. So far in all previous mass extinctions the system resets to a new normal and repopulates the various gaps with new choices. The cynic in me would imagine the 'system' is working to kill off humanity so that it can re-balance.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#55

Post by Spooky23 »

dawnerd wrote: post #25
avip wrote: post #3

Yes. This is a case of hard data confirming what we already know. As in - few types of butterflies I used to like, and see yearly as a kid - are gone. I see them now once in 5 years, if lucky. I bring my kids to look because it's a first time for them. On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. They were not here 20-30 years ago. Now, what are the consequences of all…

I’m seeing a ton of wasps this year too. Also seems like there’s way more spiders in recent years.

In my area, this is attributed to the mild winter last year.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#56

Post by analogic »

ashark wrote: post #30
avip wrote: post #3

Yes. This is a case of hard data confirming what we already know. As in - few types of butterflies I used to like, and see yearly as a kid - are gone. I see them now once in 5 years, if lucky. I bring my kids to look because it's a first time for them. On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. They were not here 20-30 years ago. Now, what are the consequences of all…

Monarchs used to be a "oh cool, look, it's the 50-100 monarchs in that field which we'll see a couple times a week for the whole season" thing here. Now it's "holy crap, it's our one single monarch butterfly of the year!" thing.

Not getting my hopes up, but have seen more this year (Ohio) than I remember seeing in a long time. As in, like maybe 4-5 instead of 1-2, but I'll take it.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#57

Post by dawnerd »

deelowe wrote: post #29
dawnerd wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m seeing a ton of wasps this year too. Also seems like there’s way more spiders in recent years.

Tons of wasps. Wasps everywhere and carpenter bees. It's insane. I don't recall it being like this when I was a kid.

I could barely mow my lawn last weekend. They just kept attacking me. Didn't even get to trim the edges because I was tired of being stung.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#58

Post by NegativeLatency »

freeflight wrote: post #46
avip wrote: post #3

Yes. This is a case of hard data confirming what we already know. As in - few types of butterflies I used to like, and see yearly as a kid - are gone. I see them now once in 5 years, if lucky. I bring my kids to look because it's a first time for them. On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. They were not here 20-30 years ago. Now, what are the consequences of all…

> On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. Afaik most of these are usually invasives species, displacing local populations, which is happening in the weirdest ways and places. In Germany, our local ladybug species are on the verge of going extinct because an imported Asian ladybug species emits some kind of spores killing them, and the Asian ones generally being st…

Same thing happened with the squirrels in the Pacific Northwest. Little red ones replaced by the big grey ones.

In more remote places and in the mountains where the winters are harsher you still see the small red native squirrels though.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#59

Post by katastic »

Everyone is chiming in with anecdotes. Maybe they're all correct.

But I definitely remember fireflies being everywhere at my parents house and turning the sky into a shimmering display... and I rarely see more then a few fireflies at all these days.

Re: 75% decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas

#60

Post by r00fus »

dawnerd wrote: post #25
avip wrote: post #3

Yes. This is a case of hard data confirming what we already know. As in - few types of butterflies I used to like, and see yearly as a kid - are gone. I see them now once in 5 years, if lucky. I bring my kids to look because it's a first time for them. On the other hand, some types of beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, even wasps - are just new. They were not here 20-30 years ago. Now, what are the consequences of all…

I’m seeing a ton of wasps this year too. Also seems like there’s way more spiders in recent years.

Less butterflies and fish, more wasps and squids.

Thanks climate change!

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