A l'UM la science [S04-ep05]: The decline of insects
This week on A l'UM la science, Laurence Gaume, researcher at the Amap laboratorylaboratory, talks about the decline of insects. The report takes you on a tour of the spectrometry gondola at the physical measurements laboratory with Guillaume Cazals. Finally, we close with the 44th edition of the autumn mushroom and plant show. A program co-produced and broadcast on radio Divergence every Wednesday at 6pm.
Last week, WWF published its latest Living Planet 2024 report. The findings are clear: 73% of wild vertebrate populations have disappeared in 50 years. It's a collapse. At this rate, leatherback turtles, forest elephants and orangutans will not see the end of this century. Two or three years ago on this same program, Vincent Devictor and I told you that bird populations had fallen by an average of 25% in 40 years. This is also a collapse.
Today, we're going to talk to you about insects. Take a test and ask the people around you if they think insect populations are declining. One person in two will tell you about the windshield of his or her car once smeared with insects, which says a lot about our relationship with these little animals. Rare are those who recall the grasshoppers that exploded in sprays of sparks with every step in the tall grass, or the ladybugs whose dots we had fun counting, or the sowbugs that swarmed under every turned stone, or the lemons, those butterflies that were said to herald spring.
In 2020, however, a study published in the highly prestigious journal Science cast doubt on the windshield theory. The good news was that the collapse of insect populations wasn't all that catastrophic. But then...
Except that the InsectChange database on which this study was based contains more than 500 errors that call these optimistic results into question. Bringing these 500 errors to light is the painstaking work carried out by Laurence Gaume, researcher at the Amap laboratory, with Marion Desquilbet. The study was published in Peer Community Journal on October 8, 2024.
In the second half of the program, Guillaume Cazals takes us on a tour of the mass spectrometry laboratory. He describes how the spectrometers work, comparing them to scales that can be used to weigh molecules very precisely for better characterization.
Finally, our last-minute guest is Françoise Fons, who tells us about one of UM's favorite events: the 44th edition of the Salon champignons et plantes d'automne, to be held this weekend at the Faculté de pharmacie.
At UM la science you've got the program, let's go!
Coproduction: Divergence FM / Université de Montpellier
Animation: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interviews : Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Reporting and editing: Aline Périault
Production : Bruno Bertrand
Listen to the "A l'UM la science" program on Divergence FM 93.9
