Causes and Reasons of Insect Decline and the Way Forward

There are lot of reasons and causes of insect decline. The main causes of insect decline is attributed to habitat destruction, land use changes, deforestation, intensive agriculture, urbanization, pollution, climate change, introduction of invasive insect species, application of pesticides, mass trapping of insects using pheromones and light traps, pathological problems on various insects, and introduction of exotic honey bees in new areas that compete with the native bees for resource portioning and other management techniques for pest management, and even not leaving any pest residue for predators and parasitoids for their survival. The use of chemical insecticides against target or non-target organisms is major cause for insect decline. The diseases and decline of the important pollinators is still a mistry for colony collapse disorder. To overcome the cause of insect decline, various conservation techniques to be adopted and augmentation of artificial nesting and feeding structures, use of green pesticides, maintaining the proper pest defender ratio (P:D), policies and reaching to political audience at global level and other factors already discussed in the chapter may be helpful for mitigating the insect decline and especially for the pollinators, a key insect for life.

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The Impact of Human Pressure and Climate Change on the Habitat Availability and Protection of Cypripedium (Orchidaceae) in Northeast China

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10010084 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 84

Author(s):

Huanchu Liu ◽

Hans Jacquemyn ◽

Xingyuan He ◽

Wei Chen ◽

Yanqing Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Northeast China ◽

Habitat Destruction ◽

Changbai Mountains ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Human Pressure ◽

Terrestrial Orchids ◽

The Future ◽

Suitable Habitats ◽

The Impact

Human pressure on the environment and climate change are two important factors contributing to species decline and overall loss of biodiversity. Orchids may be particularly vulnerable to human-induced losses of habitat and the pervasive impact of global climate change. In this study, we simulated the extent of the suitable habitat of three species of the terrestrial orchid genus Cypripedium in northeast China and assessed the impact of human pressure and climate change on the future distribution of these species. Cypripedium represents a genus of long-lived terrestrial orchids that contains several species with great ornamental value. Severe habitat destruction and overcollection have led to major population declines in recent decades. Our results showed that at present the most suitable habitats of the three species can be found in Da Xing’an Ling, Xiao Xing’an Ling and in the Changbai Mountains. Human activity was predicted to have the largest impact on species distributions in the Changbai Mountains. In addition, climate change was predicted to lead to a shift in distribution towards higher elevations and to an increased fragmentation of suitable habitats of the three investigated Cypripedium species in the study area. These results will be valuable for decision makers to identify areas that are likely to maintain viable Cypripedium populations in the future and to develop conservation strategies to protect the remaining populations of these enigmatic orchid species.

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Changes in Coastal Agricultural Land Use in Response to Climate Change: An Assessment Using Satellite Remote Sensing and Household Survey Data in Tien Hai District, Thai Binh Province, Vietnam

Land ◽

10.3390/land10060627 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 627

Author(s):

Duong H. Nong ◽

An T. Ngo ◽

Hoa P. T. Nguyen ◽

Thuy T. Nguyen ◽

Lan T. Nguyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Household Survey ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Landsat 8 ◽

Land Uses

We analyzed the agricultural land-use changes in the coastal areas of Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province, in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, using Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 data. We used the object-oriented classification method with the maximum likelihood algorithm to classify six types of land uses. The series of land-use maps we produced had an overall accuracy of more than 80%. We then conducted a spatial analysis of the 5-year land-use change using ArcGIS software. In addition, we surveyed 150 farm households using a structured questionnaire regarding the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity and land uses, as well as farmers’ adaptation and responses. The results showed that from 2005 to 2020, cropland decreased, while aquaculture land and forest land increased. We observed that the most remarkable decreases were in the area of rice (485.58 ha), the area of perennial crops (109.7 ha), and the area of non-agricultural land (747.35 ha). The area of land used for aquaculture and forest increased by 566.88 ha and 772.60 ha, respectively. We found that the manifestations of climate change, such as extreme weather events, saltwater intrusion, drought, and floods, have had a profound impact on agricultural production and land uses in the district, especially for annual crops and aquaculture. The results provide useful information for state authorities to design land-management strategies and solutions that are economic and effective in adapting to climate change.

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Twenty-Three Years of Land-Use Changes Induced Considerable Threats to the Main Wetlands of Sardinia and Sicily (Italy) along the Mediterranean Bird Flyways

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13060240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 240

Author(s):

Alessandro Ferrarini ◽

Marco Gustin ◽

Claudio Celada

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Global Level ◽

Natura 2000 Network ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Agricultural Areas

Biodiversity loss has multiple causes, but habitat degradation through land-use change is the predominant driver. We investigated the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network in preserving the main wetlands of the two largest islands of the Mediterranean region, whose conservation is critical for many avian species at European and global level, in a 23-year period (1990–2012). In Sardinia, the surroundings of 22 wetlands were affected by an increase in artificial areas (+64 ha/year) and decrease in agricultural (−54 ha/year) and natural (−17 ha/year) ones. In Sicily, the surroundings of 16 wetlands were impacted by an increase in agricultural areas (+50 ha/year) and decrease in natural and semi-natural ones (−62 ha/year). Results show that the Natura 2000 policies were effective in preserving wetlands (no shrinkages detected in both regions), but their surroundings experienced intense processes of degradation and artificialization in all the sub-periods considered (1990–2000, 2000–2006, 2006–2012), whose effects are now threatening waterbirds and wetland integrity. The enlargement of the existing Natura 2000 sites, the creation of new ones and the speedup of the application of the rules of the Habitats and Birds Directives seem necessary to counteract the rapid land-use changes around these important stopover sites.

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The widespread collapse of an invasive species: Argentine ants ( Linepithema humile ) in New Zealand

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2011.1014 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 430-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Meghan Cooling ◽

Stephen Hartley ◽

Dalice A. Sim ◽

Philip J. Lester

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Invasive Species ◽

New Zealand ◽

Argentine Ant ◽

Environmental Costs ◽

Argentine Ants ◽

Ant Communities ◽

Mean Survival Time ◽

Colony Collapse ◽

Increasing Temperature

Synergies between invasive species and climate change are widely considered to be a major biodiversity threat. However, invasive species are also hypothesized to be susceptible to population collapse, as we demonstrate for a globally important invasive species in New Zealand. We observed Argentine ant populations to have collapsed in 40 per cent of surveyed sites. Populations had a mean survival time of 14.1 years (95% CI = 12.9–15.3 years). Resident ant communities had recovered or partly recovered after their collapse. Our models suggest that climate change will delay colony collapse, as increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall significantly increased their longevity, but only by a few years. Economic and environmental costs of invasive species may be small if populations collapse on their own accord.

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Relative impacts of land use and climate change on summer precipitation in the Netherlands

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-20-4129-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (10) ◽

pp. 4129-4142 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Emma Daniels ◽

Geert Lenderink ◽

Ronald Hutjes ◽

Albert Holtslag

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Wrf Model ◽

Summer Precipitation ◽

Circulation Type ◽

Weather Research And Forecasting ◽

Temperature Perturbation ◽

Change Scenario

Abstract. The effects of historic and future land use on precipitation in the Netherlands are investigated on 18 summer days with similar meteorological conditions. The days are selected with a circulation type classification and a clustering procedure to obtain a homogenous set of days that is expected to favor land impacts. Changes in precipitation are investigated in relation to the present-day climate and land use, and from the perspective of future climate and land use. To that end, the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model is used with land use maps for 1900, 2000, and 2040. In addition, a temperature perturbation of +1 °C assuming constant relative humidity is imposed as a surrogate climate change scenario. Decreases in precipitation of, respectively, 3–5 and 2–5 % are simulated following conversion of historic to present, and present to future, land use. The temperature perturbation under present land use conditions increases precipitation amounts by on average 7–8 % and amplifies precipitation intensity. However, when also considering future land use, the increase is reduced to 2–6 % on average, and no intensification of extreme precipitation is simulated. In all, the simulated effects of land use changes on precipitation in summer are smaller than the effects of climate change, but are not negligible.

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Assessing the Opportunity Cost of Carbon Stock Caused by Land-Use Changes in Taiwan

Land ◽

10.3390/land10111240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1240

Author(s):

Ming-Yun Chu ◽

Wan-Yu Liu

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Carbon Storage ◽

Carbon Emissions ◽

Opportunity Cost ◽

Carbon Stock ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Market Price ◽

The Government

As compared with conventional approaches for reducing carbon emissions, the strategies of reducing emissions from deforestations and forest degradation (REDD) can greatly reduce costs. Hence, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change regards the REDD strategies as a crucial approach to mitigate climate change. To respond to climate change, Taiwan passed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act to control the emissions of greenhouse gases. In 2021, the Taiwan government has announced that it will achieve the carbon neutrality target by 2050. Accordingly, starting with focusing on the carbon sink, the REDD strategies have been considered a recognized and feasible strategy in Taiwan. This study analyzed the net present value and carbon storage for various land-use types to estimate the carbon stock and opportunity cost of land-use changes. When the change of agricultural land to artificial forests generated carbon stock, the opportunity cost of carbon stock was negative. Contrarily, restoring artificial forests (which refer to a kind of forest that is formed through artificial planting, cultivation, and conservation) to agricultural land would generate carbon emissions, but create additional income. Since the opportunity cost of carbon storage needs to be lower than the carbon market price so that landlords have incentives to conduct REDD+, the outcomes of this study can provide a reference for the government to set an appropriate subsidy or price for carbon sinks. It is suggested that the government should offer sufficient incentives to reforest collapsed land, and implement interventions, promote carbon trading policies, or regulate the development of agricultural land so as to maintain artificial broadleaf forests for increased carbon storage.

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Landscape typology in Czechia and abroad: State of the art, methods and theoretical basis

Geografie ◽

10.37040/geografie2007112010061 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 112 (1) ◽

pp. 61-83

Author(s):

Zdeněk Lipský ◽

Dušan Romportl

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Theoretical Basis ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Human Impacts ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

European Countries ◽

Intensive Agriculture ◽

European Landscape Convention ◽

Character Assessment ◽

Landscape Character

The main goal of this paper is to introduce the importance of landscape typology in present times when many landscapes are exposed to dynamic human impacts such as land use changes, urbanization, intensive agriculture, forestry or industrialization. Different approaches to landscape typology in Czechia and other European countries as well as relations of landscape typology to landscape character assessment and the European Landscape Convention are discussed. A requirement of a new exact and applicable landscape typology is a great challenge for Czech geographers.

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Land Cover/ Land Use Change and Climate Change in Dhofar Governorate, Oman

International Journal of Geoinformatics ◽

10.52939/ijg.v17i4.1949 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 41-47

Author(s):

E. Ramadan ◽

T. Al-Awadhi ◽

Y. Charabi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Change ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Spatial Differentiation ◽

Study Results ◽

Vegetation Activity ◽

The Status ◽

Landsat Satellite

The study of land cover/land use dynamics under climate change conditions is of great significance for improving sustainable ecological management. Understanding the relationships between land cover and land use changes and climate change is thus very important. Understanding the interactive and cumulative effects of climate and land-use changes are a priority for urban planners and policy makers. The present investigation is based on Landsat satellite imagery to explore changes in vegetation spatial distribution between the years from 2000 to2018 The methodology is focused on vegetation indexes tracking and algebraic overlay calculation to analyzed vegetation and their spatial differentiation, land cover change pattern, and the relationships between vegetation dynamics and land cover change in Dhofar Governorate. The study results have revealed that the vegetation vigor is lower in all years compared to 2000. The scene of 2010 shows the minimum vegetation vigor, overall. Besides, the investigation shows a statistical relationship between rainfall and the status of the health of vegetation. Monsoon rainfall has an impact of the growth of vegetation. Between 2012 and 2013, the vegetation activity shows a decreasing trend. The analysis diagnoses an area affected by the worst degree of aridity situated in the southeastern of Dhofar Mountains. Climate change is the main driving factor resulted from both human activities and rainfall fluctuation.

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