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Insects

Biodiversity indicator and monitoring method

WHY Insects?

Insects respond quickly to changes in land use and are therefore important indicators of biodiversity. 
Beneficial insects such as wild bees, hoverflies and ladybirds support pollination and natural pest control, while species such as aphids or certain beetles can occur as pests.
A high diversity of insects indicates a stable, sustainably managed ecosystem. What matters most, however, is the balance between the species.

WHAT is measured?

We record the species diversity, abundance and activity of insects, as well as their species composition. 

This makes it possible to see how diverse and stable an ecosystem is. 

 

HOW is it measured?

Modern camera-based systems such as the Diopsis Scanner by Faunabit are used for monitoring, automatically photographing and classifying insects. 

Additional camera systems register movements and activities without disturbing the animals. 

With the help of artificial intelligence, the captured images can then be identified and analysed.

 

 

 

How well do you know insects?

This quiz guides you through plant pests in an agricultural context and their natural antagonists. 

Important note: in nature, roles are rarely clear-cut. Many species that we are quick to label as ‘pests’ in horticulture or agriculture also fulfil important ecological functions. For example as a food source, decomposers, or as part of complex food webs. Whether a species is perceived as a problem depends greatly on where, when and in what density it occurs.

A stable, species-rich ecosystem supports this natural regulation.

 

➡️ Start the quiz 💡

Observing and reporting insects - an underestimated contribution

Everyday observations help science: 

every reported sighting contributes to a better understanding of the distribution and decline of individual species.

 

Here you will find suitable platforms and identification tools to get started:

🔎Report an observation 

📖Identification guide 

 

Follow the route of our tour...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

❶ Insects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

❸ Soil