A new report has said that Moths have declined in the UK.
The report is called 'The State of Moths Report 2021'; the report is by Butterfly Conservation. They have found that moths have sadly declined in recent decades. They have found that larger Moths have declined by 33% during the last 50 years in Britain. The Northern half of Britain's decline in Moths and the Southern half of Britain's decline in Moth's showed quite a big difference in their declines.
In the Northern half of Britain, the Moth decline was a 22% decline in Moths. However, in the Southern half of Britain, the decline in Moths was nearly double that of the North of Britain's decline, as there was a 39% decline in larger Moths in the Southern parts of Britain.
There are 511 larger Moth species in the UK. The report found that 165 species of these larger Moth species had seen a 32% decline, whereas, 187 species of larger Moths had seen an increase a 37% increase in larger Moth species.
Therefore, it's not all bad news for moths.
Some ecosystems too, are fairing better for Moths than others. For example, there has been a 13% average decrease in Moths that are found in Britain's moorlands, whereas, there has been a 12% increase in woodland Moths in Britain and an 8% increase in Moths in Britain in open grasslands between 1970 to 2016.
The species of Moths which have been increasing, have been increasing due to climate change. But there is a general decline in Moths as a whole.
Extinctions Of Moths
There has been many extinctions of Moths over the last 121 years in Britain. There have been 51 Moth species that have gone extinct in Britain since 1900.
Why Are Moths Declining?
Moths, like other insects, have seen a decline in recent times. There are thought to be several reasons why Moths are declining in Britain. The main reasons for the decline in Moths could be to do with: light pollution, habitat destruction and climate change.
Therefore, preventing climate change to accelerate, preventing habitat destruction and preventing light pollution, seems to be the major ways that we can help stop the decline in Moths (and probably other insect species too).
Another reason for the decline in Moths could be linked to the use of things like pesticides and other chemicals too, therefore, if you have a garden, please don't spray pesticides or other chemicals which would be harmful to Moths.
Restoring nature, wildlife and ecosystems is another way to help stop the decline in Moths and other species of wildlife.
Hope For The Future
There is still hope for Moths in the future. While there is a decline in Moths, the State of Moths Report 2021 also offers hope for the future of Moths, as we can help Moths recover and increase by helping to increase biodiversity and rewild.
You could even help Moths and other wildlife in your garden.
There are a few ways that you can help Moths:
. Create a Moth friendly garden
. Don't use harmful pesticides/chemicals in your garden
. Create a wildlife/nature friendly garden
. Try not to use unnecessary lights in your garden
. Garden for Moths in your garden
If you want to garden for Moths, then you can find more info - here!
If you want to read the full State of Moths Report 2021, go - here!
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