Comment on “Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances”

Marion Desquilbet (1) , Laurence Gaume (2) , Manuela Grippa (3) , Régis Cereghino (4) , Jean-François Humbert (5) , Jean-Marc Bonmatin (6) , Pierre-André Cornillon (7) , Dirk Maes , Hans van Dyck (8) , David Goulson (9)

1 TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics
2 UMR AMAP - Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations
3 GET - Géosciences Environnement Toulouse
4 LEFE - Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement
5 iEES Paris - Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement de Paris
6 CBM - Centre de biophysique moléculaire
7 IRMAR - Institut de Recherche Mathématique de Rennes
8 UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain
9 University of Sussex

Van Klink et al. (Reports, 24 April 2020, p. 417) argue for a more nuanced view of insect decline, and of human responsibility for this decline, than previously suggested. However, shortcomings in data selection and methodology raise questions about their conclusions on trends and drivers. We call for more rigorous methodology to be applied in meta-analyses of ecological data.

Domaines: Biodiversité

Marion Desquilbet, Laurence Gaume, Manuela Grippa, Régis Cereghino, Jean-François Humbert, et al.. Comment on “Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances”. Science, 2020, 370 (6523), ⟨10.1126/science.abd8947⟩. ⟨hal-03082926⟩