ABSTRACT
Insects are major contributors to ecosystem services, providing beneficial functions and goods for human use. Loss of insects directly threatens human well-being through negative impacts on the provision of ecosystem services. Several insect species have historically been reared by humans, for example, for honey production and pollination, biological control of agricultural pests, silk production, as food resources, and for fodder. However, natural populations and communities of insects also provide these and other services, and active habitat management to conserve them can contribute to improved provisioning. In a cultural context, insects are used as pendants or other jewellery, and as living imagos, they may enhance the recreational value of ecosystems. However, insects also provide disservices, for example, as pests in agriculture or as vectors of diseases. Habitat fragmentation or degradation and the intensification of agriculture and forestry are major threats to the future of ecosystem services provided by insects worldwide. There are different approaches to manipulating habitats, landscapes, and ecosystems to benefit wild insect species that provide ecosystem services. To develop more sustainable land-use systems, more research is needed on how multiple ecosystem services respond simultaneously to these approaches. Then, with knowledge and systematic implementation, we can achieve multifunctionality Anthropocene ecosystems.
