RCN: An International Network to Assess the Status of Insects

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There is substantial evidence that insects are declining in both abundance and diversity across many regions of the planet. These unsustainable rates of loss will have manifold consequences for the functioning of the planet’s ecosystems. Essential ecosystem services provided by insects—pollination, litter decomposition and soil formation, pest control, and nutrient cycling — are essential for the functioning of the biosphere, food production, and human health. Estimates of global ecosystem services provided by insects and other invertebrates exceed $1 trillion annually. This five-year Research Coordination Network (RCN) will bring together scientists from around the world to study the status and trajectories of insect populations and communities globally. This network of international scientists will be tasked with determining the magnitude and patterns of decline, identifying the primary causes and consequences for ecosystem function and human welfare, and developing policy recommendations to mitigate and reverse the losses. The research will develop educational and outreach materials that will raise awareness for and appreciation of insects — the little things that run the world.The RCN will unite entomologists, conservation biologists, community scientists, agriculture and forestry professionals, policy-makers, data scientists, and other stakeholders to (a) develop a community-driven approach to systematic data synthesis, (b) map and meta-analyze current knowledge of insect population and diversity trends globally, and (c) propose pathways to protect insect biodiversity. The multinational network will compile global evidence, identify data gaps, develop community-endorsed data standards for insect monitoring, assess geographic and taxonomic patterns of population change, synthesize information on principal threats, advance statistical methods to meta-analyze quantitative data relevant to insect population trends, recommend immediate and long-term strategies to protect insect biodiversity, and promote policy development to support these strategies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.