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Study Finds No National Decline in Britain’s Insects as Local Communities Shift

Researchers link the reshuffling to urban expansion, simplified farmland and warming, with species traits shaping winners and losers.

Overview

  • A peer-reviewed Nature Communications analysis of 1990–2020 records covered 1,252 species across major insect groups using machine-learning models.
  • The study assessed distributional occupancy across sites rather than abundance, clarifying how national stability can mask local upheaval.
  • Researchers documented pronounced turnover in community composition at local scales across Great Britain.
  • Urban expansion and farmland simplification were associated with losses for habitat specialists, while rising temperatures favored species with multiple breeding cycles per year.
  • Lead author Yoann Bourhis warned that these reorganizations could affect pollination, natural pest control and wider biodiversity.