Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers

Birds in Europe: Their conservation status

In Europe, agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been introduced in response to concerns about farmland biodiversity declines. Yet, as AES have delivered variable results, a better understanding of what determines their success or failure is urgently needed. Focusing on pollinating insects, we quantitatively reviewed how environmental factors affect the effectiveness of AES. Our results suggest that the ecological contrast in floral resources created by schemes drives the response of pollinators to AES but that this response is moderated by landscape context and farmland type, with more positive responses in croplands (vs. grasslands) located in simple (vs. cleared or complex) landscapes. These findings inform us how to promote pollinators and associated pollination services in species-poor landscapes. They do not, however, present viable strategies to mitigate loss of threatened or endangered species. This indicates that the objectives and design of AES should distinguish more clearly between biodiversity conservation and delivery of ecosystem services.

Environmental factors driving the effectiveness of European agri‐environmental measures in mitigating pollinator loss – a meta‐analysis

Sown wildflower strips are increasingly being established in European countries within agri-environmental schemes to enhance biodiversity, especially in intensively used agricultural areas. 2. The regulations vary between countries regarding the seed mixture, intensity of management and period of time over which subsidies are given. Insects in particular are intended to benefit from these schemes. 3. This review treats studies of insect diversity and abundance in sown wildflower strips. Schemes on wildflower strips in several countries in Central and Northern Europe are compared. 4. In a significant majority of studies, sown wildflower strips support higher insect abundances and diversity than cropped habitats. In general, numbers and diversity also tend to be higher than in other margin types such as sown grass margins and natural regeneration, but pollen- and nectar-rich flower mixtures may outperform them. 5. Common species are the main beneficiaries of the establishment of wildflower strips, although some studies point out the presence of rare or declining insect spe-

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Sown wildflower strips for insect conservation: a review

Much can be at stake depending on the choice of words used to describe citizen science, because terminology impacts how knowledge is developed. Citizen science is a quickly evolving field that is mobilizing people’s involvement in information development, social action and justice, and large-scale information gathering. Currently, a wide variety of terms and expressions are being used to refer to the concept of ‘citizen science’ and its practitioners. Here, we explore these terms to help provide guidance for the future growth of this field. We do this by reviewing the theoretical, historical, geopolitical, and disciplinary context of citizen science terminology; discussing what citizen science is and reviewing related terms; and providing a collection of potential terms and definitions for ‘citizen science’ and people participating in citizen science projects. This collection of terms was generated primarily from the broad knowledge base and on-the-ground experience of the authors, by recognizing the potential issues associated with various terms. While our examples may not be systematic or exhaustive, they are intended to be suggestive and invitational of future consideration. In our collective experience with citizen science projects, no single term is appropriate for all contexts. In a given citizen science project, we suggest that terms should be chosen carefully and their usage explained; direct communication with participants about how terminology affects them and what they would prefer to be called also should occur. We further recommend that a more systematic study of terminology trends in citizen science be conducted.

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Citizen Science Terminology Matters: Exploring Key Terms

Europe has undergone substantial biotope loss and change over the last century and data are needed urgently on the rate of decline in different wildlife groups in order to identify and target conservation measures However, pan-European data are available for very few taxonomic groups, notably birds We present here the first overview of trends for an insect group within different biotopes across Europe, based on data from the Red Data Book of European Butterflies The most important biotopes for Europe’s 576 butterfly species, including threatened species, are man-made or man-influenced, notably types of grassland or heath/scrub communities Our results show that butterflies are declining substantially across Europe, with a decline in distribution of −11% over the last 25 years The distributions of the 25 most “generalist” species are declining only slowly (−1%) compared to specialist butterflies of grassland (−19%), wetlands (−15%), and forests (−14%) On average, grassland butterflies have declined somewhat slower than farmland birds (annual decrease −08% compared to −15%), but woodland butterflies have decreased more rapidly (−001% to −06%) than woodland birds, which are more or less stable The sensitivity of butterflies to environmental changes and the availability of data across Europe suggest that they are very good candidates to build biodiversity indicators and, along with other major groups such as birds, suitable to monitor progress towards the EU target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010

Biotope Use and Trends of European Butterflies

Current developments in urban ecology include very few studies focused on pond ecosystems, though ponds are recognized as biodiversity hotspots. Using Odonata as an indicator model, we explored changes in species composition in ponds localized along an urban gradient of a megacity (Paris, France). We then assessed the relative importance of local- and landscape-scale variables in shaping Odonata α-diversity patterns using a model-averaging approach. Analyses were performed for adult (A) and adult plus exuviae (AE) census data. At 26 ponds, we recorded 657 adults and 815 exuviae belonging to 17 Odonata species. The results showed that the Odonata species assemblage composition was not determined by pond localization along the urban gradient. Similarly, pond characteristics were found to be similar among urban, suburban and periurban ponds. The analyses of AE census data revealed that fine-scale urbanization (i.e., increased density of buildings surrounding ponds) negatively affects Odonata α-diversity. In contrast, pond localization along the urban gradient weakly explained the α-diversity patterns. Several local-scale variables, such as the coverage of submerged macrophytes, were found to be significant drivers of Odonata α-diversity. Together, these results show that the degree of urbanization around ponds must be considered instead of pond localization along the urban gradient when assessing the potential impacts of urbanization on Odonata species diversity. This work also indicates the importance of exuviae sampling in understanding the response of Odonata to urbanization.

Fine-scale urbanization affects Odonata species diversity in ponds of a megacity (Paris, France)

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Fostering close encounters of the entomological kind

Citizen science has become a mainstream approach for collecting data on biodiversity. However, not all biodiversity monitoring programs achieve the goal of collecting datasets that can be used in robust scientific inquiries. Data quality and the capacity to engage participants in the long-term are the most challenging issues. We compared two methodologies of citizen science programs dedicated to pollinators monitoring in France (Spipoll) and South Korea (K-Spipoll). These programs aimed to launch long-term monitoring at a community-level to better understand environmental effects on the composition and stability of pollinator communities. We assessed, through different metrics, how the two approaches influenced (1) data quality (assessed by “Accuracy in data collection,” “Consistency in protocol relative to volume of sessions contributed by an individual,” “Spatial representation of data,” and “Sample size”), and (2) participant engagement (assessed by “the number of connected days,” “the number of active days,” “the proportion of participant contributing a single session,” “the average number of sessions per participant,” and “the distribution of numbers of contributions per participant in each program.”). On one hand, participants in the Spipoll program abided by the standard protocol more often and provided identification for the photographed insects, leading to efficient ecological analyses. On the other hand, the K-Spipoll program provided more sessions per participant and a lower rate of single participation, with a full session demanding less effort in terms of data input, providing critical data where baseline data have otherwise been unavailable. These differences have emerged through methodology choices: For the Spipoll, the dedicated website favored the emergence of a social network that facilitated identification and increased data quality; for the K-Spipoll, the development of a cell phone application facilitated participation, and regular on-field education sessions motivated participants. We conclude by providing suggestions for the  implementations of future citizen science programs to improve both data quality and participant engagement.

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Data Quality and Participant Engagement in Citizen Science: Comparing Two Approaches for Monitoring Pollinators in France and South Korea

Citizen science, the active participation of the public in scientific research projects, is a rapidly expanding field in open science and open innovation. It provides an integrated model of public knowledge production and engagement with science. As a growing worldwide phenomenon, it is invigorated by evolving new technologies that connect people easily and effectively with the scientific community. Catalysed by citizens’ wishes to be actively involved in scientific processes, as a result of recent societal trends, it also offers contributions to the rise in tertiary education. In addition, citizen science provides a valuable tool for citizens to play a more active role in sustainable development.

This book identifies and explains the role of citizen science within innovation in science and society, and as a vibrant and productive science-policy interface. The scope of this volume is global, geared towards identifying solutions and lessons to be applied across science, practice and policy. The chapters consider the role of citizen science in the context of the wider agenda of open science and open innovation, and discuss progress towards responsible research and innovation, two of the most critical aspects of science today.

Grégoire Loïs

Papers

Biotope Use and Trends of European Butterflies

Fine-scale urbanization affects Odonata species diversity in ponds of a megacity (Paris, France)

Fostering close encounters of the entomological kind

Data Quality and Participant Engagement in Citizen Science: Comparing Two Approaches for Monitoring Pollinators in France and South Korea

Citizen science and the role of natural history museums