Small Lives Matter! Be kind to the creepy crawlies

Have you ever thought that butterflies, dragonflies and bees are essential for our well-being, and could be standing between mankind and starvation?

Well, in his latest paper published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation, University of Stellenbosch insect expert professor Michael Samways argues that humanity is pushing many ecosystems beyond recovery, and makes a strong case for people to change their attitudes towards insects.

Insects, maintains Samways, should be conserved because they play an important role in our health and well-being by pollinating a third of our crops and maintain the health of our soil.

Samways is the lead author of the paper entitled “solutions for humanity on how to conserve insects”, compiled by 30 scientists from around the world who are involved in the study and conservation of insects.

Among them are other Stellenbosch University professors James Pryke, René Gaigher and Carlien Vorster and John Simaika. The academics maintain that humanity is pushing many ecosystems beyond recovery.

This leads to habitat loss, pollution, harmful agricultural practices, invasive species that see no borders, climate change, over-exploitation and extinction of dependent species – contributing to unquantified and unquantifiable insect extinctions. They believe this can have “a severe impact on food security, waste removal from the environment, and pest control”.

Except for a concern over the loss of bees and pollination services, Samways says the public does not value the role that insects play in nature and their usefulness.

While believing that public education may go a long way in making people aware of the importance of insect conservation, Samways is mindful that the humanity “will never be able to conserve every insect population or even every species”.
“But real practical possibilities exist from across the world on how we can avoid further insect population loss and species extinction,” says Samways.

Improved regulation, prevention of environmental risks, and greater recognition of protected areas, are key.

Samways, who is also author of a new book, Insect Conservation: a Global Synthesis, says: “Protected areas can be extended outside proclaimed borders, using large-scale ecological networks of interconnected conservation corridors, which has so far been highly effective for insect conservation in South Africa.”
As part of the anti-insect extinction drive, Samways wants to see a transformation of global agricultural and forestry practices to become “more expansive and sustainable, in line with species co-existence – mitigating climate change also being part of the solution.

“Above all, communicating with and engaging civil society and policy makers, is essential for the future and mutual well-being of both people and insects.
“While small groups of people can action insect conservation locally, collective consciousness and a globally coordinated effort for species inventorying, monitoring and conservation is required for large-scale recovery,” says Samways.

He adds: “Fortunately, civil society is increasingly becoming aware of the precipitous decline in insects and its severe consequences for the planet’s survival.
“This is where insect icons such as butterflies, dragonflies and bees, popular media, natural history clubs, education, and citizen scientist activities can all play a major role.
“In rural settings, there is also great opportunity for better education, especially of the young and impressionable, who often actually educate the parents in matters of ‘our future’ and ‘small lives matter’.”

Such efforts, he says, are especially important in urban and peri-urban environments, where there is overall the greatest disconnect with nature yet the greatest concentrations of people.

brians@citizen.co.za

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