Insect Benefits & Conservation

Most people do not realise the vast benefits and important roles that insects play that are necessary for our survival. Insects provide various ecosystem services, such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and biological control. In addition, insects are considered to be the “cornerstone of all terrestrial ecosystems”, serving as food sources for animals higher up the food chain. Large reductions in insect populations can lead to ecological cascades, which would severely impact natural ecosystems (Carrington, 2019a; Eggleton, 2020).

In this section, we will explore the following areas of insect benefits and conservation:

Left: Butterflies are important pollinators. © Yuichi Kageyama – Unsplash; Right: Insects serve as food sources to other animals like this bee-eater. © Zdeněk Macháček – Unsplash