Summary

There are at least 14 million insect species on Earth , and they play highly diverse roles in sustaining the natural world. Insects provide many well-known benefits—what scientists often call "ecosystem services." For example, you can thank a bee or a hoverfly for pollinating wildflowers and agricultural crops , or credit dung beetles for decomposing manure and other waste materials. Reports of rapid declines in insect abundance and biomass over the past decade have raised concerns about potential reductions in pollination , decomposition and other insect-provided services .

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