Action Programme for Insect Conservation Effective joint action against insect decline Action Programme for Insect Conservation Publication details Published by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) Division for Public Relations, Online Communication and Social Media · 11055 Berlin · Germany Email: [email protected] · Website: www.bmu.de/english Edited by BMU, Division N I 1, Dr. Kilian Delbrück, Mira Nürnberg Design design_idee, büro_für_gestaltung, Erfurt Picture credits See page 67. Date September 2019 Where to download this publication Website: www.bmu.de/en/publications Notice This publication of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety is distributed free of charge. It is not intended for sale and may not be used to canvass support for political parties or groups. Further information can be found at www.bmu.de/en/publications 2 Action Programme for Insect Conservation Action Programme for Insect Conservation Effective joint action against insect decline 3 Action Programme for Insect Conservation : Table of contents 4 Action Programme for Insect Conservation Summary 6 A Conserving insects – for intact nature and for us humans 8 1 Fascinating diversity 9 2 Why do we need insects? 10 3 Aims of the action programme 14 4 Players – effective together 16 5 The action programme in relation to other strategies and programmes 18 B Areas of action and measures for insect conservation 20 1 Supporting insect habitats and structural diversity in agricultural landscapes 21 2 Restoring and connecting insect habitats in other landscape areas 26 3 Enhancing protected areas as insect habitats 32 4 Reducing the use of pesticides 35 5 Reducing inputs of nutrients and pollutants in soil and water 39 6 Mitigating light pollution 43 7 Intensifying research – strengthening knowledge – closing gaps 46 8 Improving funding – creating incentives 49 9 Promoting civic commitment 52 C Programme implementation and reporting 58 D Annex 60 1 Overview of measures 61 2 List of abbreviations 66 Picture credits 67 5 Action Programme for Insect Conservation : Summary Insects are an integral component of biodiversity and play an important role in our ecosystems. However, both abundance and species diversity of insects have declined considerably in Germany in recent decades. The wider public has been paying very close attention to insect decline and it is a frequently discussed topic. The public has high expectations that pol- icymakers counteract this development comprehensively and swiftly. With the present Action Programme for Insect Conservation (Aktions­ programm Insektenschutz) the Federal Government aims to comprehen- sively combat insect decline. The programme’s objective is to reverse the trend of declining insect abundance and species diversity. In order to address the key drivers of insect decline and restore living conditions for insects in Germany, the action programme relies on the swift implementation of concrete measures within nine areas of action: The action programme sets out the following key measures: → Binding statutory requirements under an Insect Conservation Act (Insektenschutz­Gesetz) and parallel statutory ordinances with regard to changes to nature conservation law, law on plant protection prod- ucts, legislation on fertiliser use, and water law → An additional 100 million Euro per year to promote insect conserva- tion and expand insect research, to be made available by the compe- tent departments 6 Action Programme for Insect Conservation → Conservation and restoration of insect habitats in all areas of the landscape and in urban spaces with special consideration to be given to transition and boundary habitats (ecotones) → Clear guidance on environmentally and ecologically compatible ap- plications of pesticides and a significant reduction in the deposition Eristalis arbustorum is one of more of pesticides and other harmful substances in insect habitats than 400 species of hoverfly in the Syrphidae family found in Germany → Mitigation of light pollution and insects’ attraction to light ↓ → Promotion and support of civic commitment in all areas of society for the benefit of insects The action programme comprises federal measures. In order to halt insect decline, additional support at the level of the regional states (Länder) and the municipalities will be required as well as active support by society at large. The Federal Government will report regularly on progress made on the achievement of set goals and on the implementation of measures under this action programme. Additionally, a high-level roundtable on insect conservation will be established for regular exchanges between civil so- ciety stakeholders on the action programme’s progress and the state of implementation of its measures. 7 Action Programme for Insect Conservation : Conserving insects – for intact nature and for us humans A 8 Action Programme for Insect Conservation 1 Fascinating diversity The insect world is characterised by a level of diversity that never ceases to amaze us humans. They shine in a range of iridescent colours and come in the most varied shapes and sizes – from astonishingly beauti- ful to bizarre, from microscopically small to sizes as large as the palm of one’s hand. Insects can be found in all habitats. There is no other group of animals that has developed species diversity as enormous as that of insects. Approximately one million insect species worldwide have been scientifically described. It is likely that the majority of insect species are as yet undiscovered. There are more than 33,300 insect species in Germany, which means that almost three quarters of all animal species in Germany are insects, includ- ing bees, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, grasshoppers, ants and flies. Not all that crawls is an insect. All insects have six legs and many of them can fly. Both these characteristics distinguish them from arachnids The weevil family comprises about (spiders, scorpions and so on). Moreover, the bodies of insects are clearly 950 species in Germany divided into three segments: the head with its compound eyes and mouthparts, the thorax with its three pairs of legs and its wings, and the ↙ abdomen which contains the digestive and reproductive organs. Instead Before butterflies can be admired in of a skeleton, insect bodies are protected and stabilised by a thin, but hard their true glory, they undergo a meta­ chitinous armour. Hair-like sensory organs that cover their bodies allow morphosis from egg to caterpillar, insects to sense vibrations, scents, humidity or temperature. pupa and finally to butterfly ↓ The habits of individual insect species and their requirements in terms of habitat, food or climate are as diverse as the insects themselves. Very specific habitat and environmental conditions must often be met simul- taneously for the insects to thrive. Insects go through a number of different developmental stages, each of which may have completely different re- quirements, both in terms of the structure, resources and connectivity of their habitats and of their food sources. There are generalists in the insect world that are flexible in terms of their food sources, and there are also specialists that, for example, depend on a specific plant or animal species, or a specific habitat. Some insects can cover greater distances while others have a smaller activity range. As a result of this diversity of habits and needs, the protection of this group of animals is particularly challenging. 9 Action Programme for Insect Conservation 2 Why do we need insects? Both the abundance and species diversity of insects have declined consid- erably in Germany. This is evident from the nationwide Red Lists as well as from numerous scientific studies, also conducted in other EU countries. We cannot do without insects. Insects are an integral component of biodiversity and play a vital role in our ecosystems. Many insect species provide elementary ecosystem services, for example as pollinators of plants, as food sources for other insects and other groups of animals, as decomposers of organic matter, as biological agents controlling harmful organisms, or by purifying water and maintaining soil fertility. Therefore, the decline of insects and their ecosystem services not only has an imme- diate impact on the environment but also on us humans. Plant pollination by insects, for example, is essential for wild plant con- servation as well as for safeguarding the yields and yield quality of many crop plants. A decline in pollination services would therefore result not only in a significant loss of biodiversity but would also entail major eco- nomic risks. The more than 560 wild bee species occurring in Germany are highly important pollinators. As a result of species-specific special- isations and adaptations they are often more effective pollinators than honey bees. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) can No more buzz? – The world of bees only exist and survive in a colony The “bee mortality” is often mentioned in connection with insect ↓ decline. Many people are not aware that apart from the well-known honeybee there are some 560 further bee species in Germany. These include the bumblebees. While the honeybee is the only bee that is bred, kept and cared for by humans in Europe as a domestic animal, there are also wild bee species, such as bumblebees, which are specif- ically bred by humans to provide pollination services in greenhouses and fruit plantations. The wild bee species are strongly impacted by the destruction and impairment of their habitats and food sources. One glance at the Red List shows that in Germany 41 percent of the total of 561 bee species covered by the Red List are endangered. There is therefore an urgent need for targeted measures to protect wild bees, their basic food sources and diverse habitats. While the provision of an overall greater amount of flowers for foraging may be beneficial to the generalists among the bee species, it does not suffice, as many wild bee species are specialists and are dependent on very specific food plants as well as on a variety of plants and nesting places.