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Will the Earth become “silent”? This is the warning given by the British biologist Dave Goulson in his book on the disappearance of insects which has just been published in French. Explanations with the column “1 planet, solutions” produced by NOWU in partnership with France Info.
The mass extinction of the living world that we are living spares no one. Not even insects, unloved animals still full of mysteries, which represent half of the living organisms on Earth.
40% of insect species would now be in decline and at least a third endangered. Their rate of extinction is 8 times faster than that of mammals, birds or even reptiles. A phenomenon that is not about to stop: according to scientific projections, the total number of insects present on Earth should continue to decrease by 2.5% per year for the next few years.
Disappearance of insects: what consequences?
Insects are at the base of the food chain: if they disappear, the animals that eat them (birds, amphibians, fish, etc.) will in turn be threatened. They also play an essential role in maintaining the soil so that it remains fertile.
More particularly, a category of insects called pollinating insects constitute an essential link for the reproduction of certain plants. If this (free) service were to disappear, the plants in question could no longer reproduce and would disappear in turn. A phenomenon far from being anecdotal since it directly threatens 90% of flowering plants and 75% of plants cultivated by humans.
Disappearance of insects: how to prevent this disaster?
Preventing the collapse of insect populations involves tackling its causes: mainly, the transformation and the artificialization of natural spacesas well as the use of pesticides for some very toxic.
A first solution may be to replace these pesticides with alternatives that are less harmful to biodiversity… even if the miracle method does not exist. Among these alternatives, we can mention the deployment in the orchards of anti-insect nets or the use of auxiliary insects which will attack potential pests.
A few tips for protecting insects throughout your garden:avoid mowing the lawnleaving piles of leaves/deadwood and pplant bee plants.
NOWU it’s the positive medium for getting informed and getting active for the planet! Its mission: to enable young people to become actors in the face of environmental challenges through content that relieves guilt and is focused on solutions.
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