More than just fish food: Ecosystem services provided by freshwater insects

Craig Macadam, Conservation Director from the invertebrate charity Buglife, will deliver this Aberdeen Entomological Club seminar entitled “More than just fish food: Ecosystem services provided by freshwater insects”. It will be held at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen (and screened to the Institute’s Dundee site).

Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 1% of the planet’s surface but support up to 10% of known species. With a quarter of freshwater invertebrate species at risk of extinction, the effect on the delivery of ecosystem services could be profound. However, the effect of species loss on ecosystem goods and services can only be assessed once the link with species diversity has been established and better understood. This talk will explore the diverse and unexpectedly wide-ranging ecosystem services and benefits provided by freshwater insects which include decomposition and nutrient cycling, food for a wider range of species including humans, and the inspiration for art, music and literature.

The talk starts at 4pm with light refreshments available from 3.30pm.

For further information, please contact Jenni Stockan, Environmental & Biochemical Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK. Office: +44 (0)1224 395 239, or Jennifer Slater, Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA.