Pesticides Playing Role in Steep Insect Population Downturn

At the current rate, nearly half of all insect species could be extinct within the next several decades—and pesticides play a major role, according to a new scientific report.

Among other factors, researchers found declines linked to the overuse of synthetic pesticides, many of which have only been on the market for the past 20 years.

“We are certainly losing fertility in the soils planted with insecticide-treated seeds, as these chemicals sterilize the soil of bugs, grubs, and anything else that recycles organic matter,” said Francisco Sanchez-Bayo, an ecologist at the University of Sydney in Australia, and lead author ...