Dr Francisco Sanchez-Bayo ‘The decline of the entomofauna and its drivers’

Francisco, from the University of Sydney, will talk about the ecological implications of world-wide decline in the biodiversity of insects and the priority actions needed to stem them will be discussed.

Abstract   A review of 73 historical reports from across the globe has shown that worldwide biodiversity of insects is at peril. Dramatic rates of decline affect 41% of the world's insect species, while a third of them are threatened and may become extinct over the next few decades. A more recent UN report by the IPBES also found that 25% of the world species of animals and plants (about 1 million species) are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. In terrestrial ecosystems, butterflies, moths, bees and dung beetles appear to be the insect groups most affected, whereas four major groups of aquatic insects (dragonflies, stoneflies, caddisflies and mayflies) have already lost a considerable proportion of species. In addition, insect biomass has decreased at a rate of over 2% annually in the past four decades. The main drivers of insect declines appear to be, in order of importance: i) habitat loss and conversion of natural landscapes to intensive agriculture and urbanisation; ii) pollution, mainly that by synthetic pesticides and fertilisers; iii) biological factors, including introduced species and pathogens; and iv) climate change, particularly in tropical regions and in mountain settings of temperate zones. The ecological implications of such declines and the priority actions needed to stem them will be discussed.

Biography   Dr Francisco Sanchez-Bayo, Currently, Department of the Environment & Energy and Honorary Associate, School of Life & Environmental Sciences (SOLES) The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW

Born in Spain, Sánchez-Bayo received a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). Moving to Australia, he earned a degree in applied science from UNSW and worked in post-doctoral positions at the University of Sydney. Between 2001-2006, he was Assistant Professor at Chiba University (Japan), where he taught environmental toxicology and studied the ecological impacts of pesticides. After five years in Japan, Sánchez-Bayo returned to Australia to work first at the University of Technology Sydney, then at the Centre for Ecotoxicology in the Office of the Environment & Heritage NSW, at the University of Sydney and finally at the federal Department of Environment and Energy. Sánchez-Bayo is author and co-author of over 90 scientific articles and book chapters on the environmental impact and risk of chemical contaminants, ecology and related subjects, as well as editor and principal author of the book “Ecological Impacts of Toxic Chemicals”. He serves as Associate Editor of the journal Entomologia Generalis, as reviewer of over 60 international journals and as expert assessor for evaluation of scientific projects in eight countries.

Bookings for this talk open the Friday before and close at midnight on Wednesday night.
This talk will be held in the ANBG Theatrette.

Bookings can be made at https://register.eventarc.net/e/45007

Bookings are essential because of the COVID-19 guidelines related to the Thursday Talks and limited seating. (Tickets are Free)

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Tickets are limited, please notify us if you are unable to come on 0437 298 711 or 0407 299 704.