Insects are dying in full swing all around the world. The reason for why humans are the main cause for this global issue and what the effects are is explained by Dr. Viola Clausnitzer in an interview with the Senckenberg online editorial team.
Dr. Clausnitzer, what exactly do you investigate as an expert on insects?
My main area of work is the biogeography and ecology of African dragonflies. Recently, I dealt with the endangerment status of dragonflies in the context of the global IUCN / SSC Red List and was involved in the surveys of key biodiversity areas worldwide.
You carried out the first global survey of an insect order for dragonflies in 2016 for the IUCN Red List. How are dragonflies doing today, and has this project provided ideas for action against the global death of insects?
Like almost all species, dragonflies worldwide suffer from the destruction of their habitat, especially due to water pollution. The water quality in Germany has improved in the last few decades, but from a global perspective, water pollution is growing at an alarming rate. The destruction and modification of valuable habitats, such as through deforestation or through the construction of rivers, populations and species continue to decline. The data on the distribution of many dragonfly species are well maintained, and unfortunately there are now many examples of populations and habitats that have disappeared in the last 20 years.
What exactly is the meaning of the term “Insect Death”?
Insect death is the decline in individuals, i.e. the number and biomass of individual species. We have particularly drastic data on the decline in flower-visiting insects, i.e. the “pollinators”.