What is it about?

This study uses data from the UK’s weather radar network to estimate the abundance of flying arthropods—such as insects—across large areas and over time. By analysing eight years of radar scans (2014–2021), we quantified diurnal and nocturnal arthropod populations at heights between 500 and 700 meters. Key findings include: - Around 10 trillion arthropods are airborne over the UK during peak periods each day. - Nocturnal arthropods declined overall, while diurnal populations showed no consistent trend. - Abundance was higher in southern regions and lower in the north, with strong links to temperature, land cover, and artificial light at night. - Woodland and grassland were associated with higher abundance, while arable land and high light pollution had negative effects.

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Why is it important?

Arthropods are vital for ecosystems, yet their large-scale trends remain poorly understood. This research demonstrates how existing weather radar infrastructure can provide continuous, cost-effective monitoring of aerial arthropods at national scales. These insights are critical for understanding biodiversity change, informing conservation strategies, and assessing the impacts of climate change and light pollution on insect populations.

Perspectives

We have been working on radar ecology for almost a decade at the University of Leeds and this paper is one that we have been planning almost from the start. Through four research grants, a pandemic, and all the challenges of interdisciplinary research, Mansi Mungee managed the Herculean effort of bringing it all together. One of the papers of which I am most proud!

Dr Christopher Hassall
University of Leeds

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Spatio‐Temporal Variation in Aerial Arthropod Abundance Revealed by Weather Radars, Global Change Biology, October 2025, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.70425.
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