Some of the smallest wildlife play extremely outsized roles in their ecosystems and globally, and now they’re at risk.
Recent research has found that insect numbers are declining rapidly, even in remote ecosystems with little human contact. Even the most pristine landscapes are no longer safe from the effects of human activity.
What’s happening?
A new study led by Keith Sockman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill monitored flying insect populations across 15 field seasons between 2004 and 2024 in Colorado. The site, a subalpine meadow in Colorado, had weather records and experienced minimal human impact.
Their study found flying insect populations plummeted by more than 70% over the past 20 years, despite minimal human impact.
The findings, published in Ecology, revealed that insect abundance fell by an average of 6.6% per year. The sharp drop was strongly tied to rising summer temperatures, particularly warmer nighttime lows.
“Several recent studies report significant insect declines,” said lead author Keith Sockman, but most studies have been in heavily human-altered ecosystems. This shows that even remote, relatively pristine environments are not immune to the effects of human activity, such as planet-heating pollution on fish migration and microplastics in the Himalayas.
Why are insect populations important?
Insects are among the most essential and overlooked organisms on Earth. They pollinate crops and wild plants, recycle nutrients, and form the foundation of countless food webs.
“Insects are necessary for terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems to function,” Sockman explained.
Their decline could ripple through entire ecosystems, threatening birds, mammals, and even collapsing human food supplies. Mountain ecosystems like the one studied are home to species uniquely adapted to cold, high-elevation environments, many of which exist nowhere else. If these declines are occurring across similar habitats, the status of mountains as biodiversity hotspots may be in jeopardy.
The findings are especially troubling as these insect population losses occurred far from farmland, roads, and pollution, suggesting that global temperature rise alone may be enough to destabilize insect populations, not to mention other remote, “untouched” areas around the world that may be facing similar situations.
What’s being done about these declining populations?
Researchers are calling for expanded monitoring of insect populations across a wider range of ecosystems, including those far from human development. Understanding how heat, changing weather patterns, and shifting seasons affect insect survival could help scientists develop stronger conservation strategies.
On an individual level, people can help insect populations by supporting pollinator-friendly landscaping, such as planting native wildflowers and avoiding pesticides, and backing policies that limit planet-warming pollution. Clean energy transitions, wildlife-conscious design, and restored pollinator habitats can significantly contribute to keeping our planet cooler and greener for future generations.
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