‘Mayday, mayday, mayday’ – has nothing to do with the month of May, it seems. ‘Mayday’ is a phonetic way to say the French term, m’aidez, (help me). Almost 100 years ago, the term was coined by Frederick Stanley Mockford, the officer-in-charge of radio at Croydon Airport in London.
‘Mayday, mayday, mayday’ – signifies a life-threatening emergency, usually on a ship or a plane. In the light of the scientific evidence about the escalating climate crisis and rapid loss of species, especially the loss of insects species, is it not time to focus more on this life-threatening emergency, i.e. the collapse of the Earth’s life support systems, which is unfolding like a slow car crash in front of our eyes? Speaking of which, have you noted the lack of dead insects on the windscreen these days?
Why are insects so important?
- Insects create the biological foundation for all terrestrial ecosystems. They recycle nutrients, pollinate plants, disperse seeds, maintain soil structure and fertility, control populations of other organisms, and provide major food sources for other species.
- If all insects on Earth suddenly vanished, it is likely that civilization and ecosystems would be in serious trouble. Nitrogen-rich faeces would potentially build up, choking plant life and preventing new growth.
- Many insects, especially beetles, are scavengers, feeding on dead animals and fallen trees, thereby recycling nutrients back into the soil.
In summary, this is the story:
“If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind,” said Francisco Sánchez-Bayo, at the University of Sydney, co-author of the first global analysis of insect populations decline, with Kris Wyckhuys at the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, published in the journal Biological Conservation, and entitled, ‘Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers’.
More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered, the analysis found. The rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century.
The planet is at the start of a sixth mass extinction in its history, with huge losses already reported in larger animals that are easier to study. But insects are by far the most varied and abundant, but their fate has been largely overlooked because of their small size and the ubiquitous nature of a few well known insect species.
The authors of this scientific analysis don’t mince their words!
“The world must change the way it produces food”, Sánchez-Bayo said, noting that organic farms had more insects and that occasional pesticide use in the past did not cause the level of decline seen in recent decades. “Industrial-scale, intensive agriculture is the one that is killing the ecosystems,” he said.
In the tropics, where industrial agriculture is often not yet present, the rising temperatures due to climate change are thought to be a significant factor in the decline. Sánchez-Bayo said the unusually strong language used in the review was not alarmist. “We wanted to really wake people up, and the reviewers and editor agreed”, he said. “When you consider 80% of biomass of insects has disappeared in 25-30 years, it is a big concern.”
What’s to be done to turn this ‘mayday’ into a good day?
- Plant native trees, shrubs, and flowers.
- Avoid flowers that have “double” blooms; insects cannot access their nectar because their mouthparts are not adapted to do so.
- Avoid chemically based pesticides and fertilizers. On the other hand, manure and compost favour insects.
- Protect hedgerows and natural ground covers which are important habitats for insects.
- Appreciate more the importance of dandelions, nettles and other native plants for insects, especially bees and butterflies.
- Where possible, buy organic cotton clothes, sheets, and towels. Conventional cotton uses an enormous quantity of pesticide with significant negative impacts on insects.
- For farmers, GLAS and other E.U. based initiatives are available to help to turn around the decline in biodiversity. One such initiative is the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability which encourages partnership among farmers in any E.U. region.
Around a 100 farmers working together to enhance biodiversity locally. An example of such an EIP project is the Blackstairs Farming Futures (BFF) EIP pilot project on the Wexford / Carlow border. This is a results based project rewarding good habitat conditions on semi-natural habitats using a scoring system based on results indicators. For information about the Blackstairs Farming Futures (BFF) Sustainable Farming Project in the Blackstairs Mountains, visit https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/find-connect/projects/blackstairs-farming-futures-bff-sustainable
’Under the Blackstairs Mountains’ by Mark Rothwell of Bunclody Union of Parishes, which won 1st Prize in the Bunclody Union Photography Competition.