Insects are often seen as invaders due to high-profile species like the yellow-legged (Asian) hornet, the harlequin ladybird and fire ant. but new research reveals insects are also major victims of invasive alien species – exacerbating population declines and reducing their ability to provide vital services for biodiversity and people from pollination to pest control. The first global analysis of its kind, led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), revealed that invasive alien species reduce abundance of terrestrial insects* by 31% on average and reduce species richness by 21%. Invasive animals outcompete or eat insects while invasive vegetation replaces native plants that insects feed upon.

For the first time, a study from researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego integrates climate-related damages to the ocean into the social cost of carbon— a measure of economic harm caused by greenhouse gas emissions. 

Environmental research in the tropics is heavily skewed, according to a comprehensive study led from Umeå University. Humid lowland forest ecosystems receive a disproportionate amount of attention, while colder and drier regions that are more affected by climate change are severely underrepresented.