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Ups and downs of insect populations

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Analysis of the world’s longest-running insect monitoring programme finds little evidence to support steep declines in biomass across the United Kingdom over the past 50 years. Moth biomass showed a net increase, but a gradual post-1982 decline was found in certain land uses and for some moth families.

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Fig. 1: Divergent trends in biomass among different moth families.

a, Rothamstead Research; b, blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photo; c, Papilio/Alamy Stock Photo; d, Frank Hecker/Alamy Stock Photo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia

    Manu E. Saunders

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  1. Manu E. Saunders
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Correspondence to Manu E. Saunders.

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Saunders, M.E. Ups and downs of insect populations. Nat Ecol Evol 3, 1616–1617 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1038-4

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