Dr Tim Newbold and Charlie Outhwaite
Dr Tim Newbold and Charlie Outhwaite - The world may be facing a devastating "hidden" collapse in insect species due to the twin threats of climate change and habitat loss according to new research by Dr Tim Newbold and Dr Charlie Outhwaite (UCL Biosciences) Insects are critical to the future of our planet. They help to keep pest species under control and break down dead material to release nutrients into the soil. Flying insects are also key pollinators of many major food crops, including fruits, spices and - importantly for chocolate lovers - cocoa. The growing number of reports suggesting insect numbers are in steep decline is therefore of urgent concern. Loss of insect biodiversity could put these vital ecological functions at risk, threatening human livelihoods and food security in the process. Yet across large swathes of the world, there are gaps in our knowledge about the true scale and nature of insect declines. Most of what we do know comes from data collected in the planet's more temperate regions, especially Europe and North America.
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