{"id":38785,"date":"2025-06-20T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T04:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=38785"},"modified":"2025-06-20T12:44:51","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T16:44:51","slug":"study-adds-to-wide-body-of-science-highlighting-benefits-of-organic-for-insect-biodiversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2025\/06\/study-adds-to-wide-body-of-science-highlighting-benefits-of-organic-for-insect-biodiversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Adds to Wide Body of Science Highlighting Benefits of Organic for Insect Biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Image: Art Page<\/a> submission from Sara Grantham, \u201cPollen Song.\u201d <\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, June 20, 2025) A study in Conservation Genetics,<\/em> entitled \u201cOrganic farming fosters arthropod diversity of specific insect guilds \u2013 evidence from metabarcoding<\/a>,\u201d showcases the negative effect of chemical-intensive, conventional farm management on insect populations when compared to organically managed meadows. The researchers find that the diversity and biomass of flying insects are higher with organic land management by 11% and 75%, respectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe report a higher diversity on organic meadows in comparison with conventional ones, all over the diversity of flying insects and not only based solely on a few species-poor groups as in previous studies,\u201d the authors state. They continue: \u201cWe found significant richness differences between management types and increased functionality on organic meadows. Our results imply the superiority of organic farming in comparison to conventional farming in the conservation of insect diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The topic of insect biodiversity<\/a> and the decline of insect populations over the last few decades, also referred to as the insect apocalypse<\/a>, has been extensively covered by Beyond Pesticides. As previously reported in the Daily News,<\/em> \u201cContinued Decline in Insect Species Biodiversity with Agricultural Pesticide Use Documented<\/a>,\u201d insects provide many important services, such as maintaining healthy soil, recycling nutrients, pollinating flowers and crops, and controlling pests. These nontarget insects and beneficial species<\/a> are at risk due to pesticide exposure, both directly and indirectly, which then affects these essential functions. The pesticide residues that contaminate plants and insects that provide a food source for other organisms can lead to population effects throughout multiple trophic levels. Since the active ingredients in pesticides can affect a wide range of taxonomic groups, they cause harm to numerous species rather than just the target species. (See additional coverage here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

As Dave Goulson<\/a>, PhD\u2014a speaker at Beyond Pesticides\u2019 40th National Forum Series\u2014says, the insect apocalypse<\/a> that is occurring threatens all ecosystems. In an essay in Current Biology<\/em><\/a>, he states, \u201cInsects are integral to every terrestrial food web, being food for numerous birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and fish, and performing vital roles such as pollination, pest control and nutrient recycling. Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems will collapse without insects\u2026 we may have failed to appreciate the full scale and pace of environmental degradation caused by human activities in the Anthropocene.\u201d<\/p>\n

The researchers in the present study, which focuses on meadows in southern Bavaria (the largest state in Germany), note, \u201cAgricultural intensification and industrialisation have caused severe losses of insect diversity, abundance and biomass across major parts of Central Europe.\u201d (See studies here<\/a> and here<\/a>.) They continue: \u201cHabitat destruction and subsequent fragmentation have forced local populations to persist in small and isolated habitat patches, increasing the probability of local extinctions and consequently the gradual loss of species at the landscape level. In addition, the deterioration of habitat quality due to influx of fertilisers and pesticides diminishes habitat quality and threatens particularly species with specific habitat demands and restricted dispersal behaviour.\u201d (See studies here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

As is noted in the study: \u201cTemporal changes [change over time] in community composition have so far been demonstrated for a few scientifically well-studied and taxonomically well-known charismatic groups, most often in birds, but also in some invertebrate groups like butterflies, hoverflies or longhorn beetles… However, community trends in most other insect groups, including those of major ecological and economic importance, are far less known. A full picture of insect community trends needs to incorporate these groups, including many ecologically and economically important but taxonomically less resolved, mega-diverse taxa.” (See studies here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This research analyzes a wide range of species, as the authors utilize metabarcoding and barcode index numbers (BINs) to identify and estimate species diversity<\/a> and ecological patterns. \u201cUntil today, most studies of insect decline focused on a small fraction of taxonomic groups, such as functionally or economically relevant flagship species or groups,\u201d the study notes. \u201cTherefore, a comprehensive picture of the impact of different agricultural management types requires integration of the majority of all insect groups.\u201d<\/p>\n

To achieve this, the researchers sampled insects with Malaise traps<\/a> on both organically and conventionally farmed meadows over the course of three years. In describing the aim of the study, the authors share: \u201cBased on the taxa detected and their taxon-specific ecological performance, we focus on the following research questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Do organically and conventionally farmed meadows differ in biomass of insects and numbers of taxa?<\/li>\n
  2. Does community structure complexity differ between both meadow types?<\/li>\n
  3. Which traits of the entire communities are fostered in organically and conventionally farmed areas?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The six study areas (three organically and three conventionally managed meadows) are located in close geographic proximity but differ in their mowing frequency (approximately twice a year for organic and up to seven times a year for conventional), as well as the usage of non-organic chemical inputs on the conventionally managed land. The traps collected insects from April to October each year and were \u201cemptied twice per month, resulting in a total of 95 single trap data during three years of which 48 trap data came from the organic and 47 trap data from the conventional meadows (one trap bottle was missing),\u201d the researchers note.<\/p>\n

    After collecting all of the insects, the dry biomass materials were weighted and analyzed, assigning BINs to represent the numbers of consensus orders, families, genera, and species for the samples. As a result, the authors report: \u201cWe obtained a total of 7,101,348 reads, which were distributed with 3,790,227 reads on the organic and 3,311,121 reads on the conventional meadows… During the three study years, we found a total of 6,509 different BINs (considered as a proxy for species) from 301 insect families.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The study finds that biomass is significantly higher on organic meadows compared to the conventionally farmed ones. \u201cThe organically managed meadows returned 11.2% more BINs (5,679) than the conventionally managed ones (5,109), a highly significant difference,\u201d the researchers conclude. They continue: \u201c1,400 BINs (i.e. 22% of all BINs) were only found on the organic meadows… For most families, the comparison of organic and conventional meadows revealed a higher diversity in the organic meadows, irrespective of family size. Particularly rich on organic meadows were the Hymenoptera families Megachilidae, Cynipidae, Diapriidae, the Coleoptera families Buprestidae, Carabidae, and Mordellidae, as well as Thripidae.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In terms of trophic guilds (species with similar feeding roles within an ecosystem), all of them, aside from coprophages (organisms that feed on feces), have significantly higher numbers of BINs on organic meadows. However, \u201c10% (coprohages) to 28% (mycetophages) of BINs occurred exclusively on organic meadows\u201d and were not seen on any of the conventionally managed land.<\/p>\n

    The consistently higher insect diversity and evenness found in the organic meadows highlight how organic land management promotes biodiversity. The study also finds that \u201c40% of seed feeders and 36% of nectar users occurred exclusively on organic meadows,\u201d showing that organisms that provide particular ecosystem services, such as pollination<\/a>, are supported.<\/p>\n

    Previous research confirms these findings and offers explanations for the results, as is referenced throughout the study, including:<\/p>\n