PubMed · 2026-02-05
Insects—including pollinators, decomposers, and natural pest controllers—are declining worldwide due to habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and invasive species. Reversing these losses will require major shifts in how we use land and respond to climate change.
Insects are the most species-rich group on Earth and provide irreplaceable ecosystem services including crop pollination, nutrient cycling, and biological pest control.
Declines are documented across multiple habitat types and are driven by at least five major pressures: land-use change, habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, and chemical pollutants.
Halting declines will require real-time insect monitoring technology, reduced agricultural land-use intensity, and coordinated climate mitigation strategies at a societal scale.