Dataset Information

Quantifying rapidly declining abundance of insects in Europe using a paired experimental design.

ABSTRACT: The abundance of insects has decreased for the last decades in many parts of the world although so far few studies have quantified this reduction because there have only been few baseline studies dating back decades that have allowed comparison of ancient and recent population estimates. Such a paired design is particularly powerful because it reduces or eliminates bias caused by differences in identity and experience of observers, identity of study sites, years, time of season, and time of day, and it ensures identity of sampling procedures. Here, I compiled information on the reduction in abundance of insects in Europe and Algeria by the same persons compiling the abundance of insects from the same 21 study sites during 1951-1997 and again a second time in 1998-2018. There was a reduction by 47% in the abundance of insects. The difference in abundance in old compared to new samples declined with latitude, with a significant variance among taxa. This reduction in abundance of insects was of such a magnitude that it must have consequences for insectivores and the role that insects play in ecosystems.

SUBMITTER: Moller AP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7069279 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Quantifying rapidly declining abundance of insects in Europe using a paired experimental design.

Møller Anders Pape AP

Ecology and evolution 20200212 5

The abundance of insects has decreased for the last decades in many parts of the world although so far few studies have quantified this reduction because there have only been few baseline studies dating back decades that have allowed comparison of ancient and recent population estimates. Such a paired design is particularly powerful because it reduces or eliminates bias caused by differences in identity and experience of observers, identity of study sites, years, time of season, and time of day, ...[more]

PMID: 32184992

Similar Datasets

Project description:PurposeThe ability to noninvasively quantify receptor availability (RA) in solid tumors is an aspirational goal of molecular imaging, often challenged by the influence of non-specific accumulation of the contrast agent. Paired-agent imaging (PAI) techniques aim to compensate for this effect by imaging the kinetics of a targeted agent and an untargeted isotype, often simultaneously, and comparing the kinetics of the two agents to estimate RA. This is usually accomplished using two spectrally distinct fluorescent agents, limiting the technique to superficial tissues and/or preclinical applications. Applying the approach in humans using conventional imaging modalities is generally infeasible since most modalities are unable to routinely image multiple agents simultaneously. We examine the ability of PAI to be implemented in a cross-modality paradigm, in which the targeted and untargeted agent kinetics are imaged with different modalities and used to recover receptor availability.ProceduresEighteen mice bearing orthotopic brain tumors were administered a solution containing three contrast agents: (1) a fluorescent agent targeted to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), (2) an untargeted fluorescent isotype, and (3) a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) for MRI imaging. The kinetics of all three agents were imaged for 1 h after administration using an MRI-coupled fluorescence tomography system. Paired-agent receptor availability was computed using (1) the conventional all-optical approach using the targeted and untargeted optical agent images and (2) the cross-modality approach using the targeted optical and untargeted MRI-GBCA images. Receptor availability estimates between the two methods were compared.ResultsReceptor availability values using the cross-modality approach were highly correlated to the conventional, single-modality approach (r = 0.94; p < 0.00001).ConclusionThese results suggest that cross-modality paired-agent imaging for quantifying receptor availability is feasible. Ultimately, cross-modality paired-agent imaging could facilitate rapid, noninvasive receptor availability quantification in humans using hybrid clinical imaging modalities.

Project description:Successfully applying theoretical models to natural communities and predicting ecosystem behavior under changing conditions is the backbone of predictive ecology. However, the experiments required to test these models are dictated by practical constraints, and models are often opportunistically validated against data for which they were never intended. Alternatively, we can inform and improve experimental design by an in-depth pre-experimental analysis of the model, generating experiments better targeted at testing the validity of a theory. Here, we describe this process for a specific experiment. Starting from food web ecological theory, we formulate a model and design an experiment to optimally test the validity of the theory, supplementing traditional design considerations with model analysis. The experiment itself will be run and described in a separate paper. The theory we test is that trophic population dynamics are dictated by species traits, and we study this in a community of terrestrial arthropods. We depart from the Allometric Trophic Network (ATN) model and hypothesize that including habitat use, in addition to body mass, is necessary to better model trophic interactions. We therefore formulate new terms which account for micro-habitat use as well as intra- and interspecific interference in the ATN model. We design an experiment and an effective sampling regime to test this model and the underlying assumptions about the traits dominating trophic interactions. We arrive at a detailed sampling protocol to maximize information content in the empirical data obtained from the experiment and, relying on theoretical analysis of the proposed model, explore potential shortcomings of our design. Consequently, since this is a "pre-experimental" exercise aimed at improving the links between hypothesis formulation, model construction, experimental design and data collection, we hasten to publish our findings before analyzing data from the actual experiment, thus setting the stage for strong inference.

Dataset Information

Quantifying rapidly declining abundance of insects in Europe using a paired experimental design.

Publications

Quantifying rapidly declining abundance of insects in Europe using a paired experimental design.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets