Ecosystem Services Provided by the Little Things That Run the World

Abstract

Highest extinction risk and consequently biodiversity loss are predicted to occur in invertebrates, specifically insects, and these declines are expected to cascade onto ecosystem functioning and human well-being. Although this knowledge is intrinsically present in more traditional communities, in more urban environments, mapping ecosystem services can be an important tool to raise people's awareness on the importance of preserving insect diversity. After an extensive revision of the available literature, we used a rule-based approach to assess the provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural services delivered by insects. We followed the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) and identified several potential indicators that may help underpin the mapping and valuation of the services delivered by insects. From our search, we extracted a total of 73 indicators, divided as 17 Provisional indicators, 27 Regulation and Maintenance indicators, and 29 Cultural indicators. We concluded that insects are providers of services in the three major 'Sections' of ecosystem services defined by CICES. Despite the lack of recognition of provisioning and cultural services, the indicators provided may help to raise awareness on the importance of the little things the run the world, in order to preserve traditional and technological uses of insects and their services.

Standardised arthropod (Arthropoda) inventory across natural and anthropogenic impacted habitats in the Azores archipelago

“…6,000 species ( Vandenberg 2002 ) with an ubiquitous distribution worldwide. The majority of species are predators providing relevant ecosystem and agricultural services, constituting one of the most studied groups of beneficial insects ( Hodek et al 2012 , Ameixa et al 2018 for a comprehensive revision). The rove-beetles ( Staphylinidae ) are one of the most diverse lineages of arthropods, inhabiting practically all terrestrial niches ( Thayer 2005 ).…”

Monitoring Arthropods in Azorean Agroecosystems: the project AGRO-ECOSERVICES

“…Arthropods, especially insects, support ecosystem stability and functioning ( Allan et al 2015 , Bennett et al 2015 ). Due to their high species richness and abundance, as well as their importance for several ES and ED ( Zhang et al 2007 , Ameixa et al 2018 , Noriega et al 2018 , Ecosystem Services 2019 ), arthropods play a key role in all terrestrial ecosystems. Evaluating the total effect of arthropods that are providers of both ES and ED is challenging ( Shapiro and Báldi 2014 ).…”

An annotated checklist of ladybeetle species (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira Archipelagos

“…This family of insects is very charismatic, in particular because most species are predators recognised as useful natural enemies of pests, including aphids (Aphidoidea), scale insects (Coccoidea), whiteflies (Aleyrodoidea) or mites (Acari). Largely used in biological control programmes, ladybeetles render important ecosystem services to agriculture and silviculture (Ameixa et al 2018). In fact, the first successful case of classical biological control dates back to the late 1800s, when Novius (=Rodolia) cardinalis (Mulsant) was introduced in California from Australia to control the cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchasi Maskell, also of Australian origin (Caltagirone et al 1989).…”