BioDAR: Weather radars reveal spatio-temporal trends in aerial arthropod abundance at a national scale

Speaker: Ryan Neely    

Chair(S): SCOTT OSPREY

wednesday NOVEMBER 29, 2023, 13:00

The alarming decline of arthropod populations globally necessitates an urgent need for comprehensive observations to understand its extent and causes. The BioDAR project is an innovative, interdisciplinary initiative at the forefront of this effort. Spearheaded by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), alongside experts from the University of Leeds, Rothamsted Research, and the UK Met Office, BioDAR seeks to transform the monitoring of flying arthropods. This presentation showcases the culmination of six years of research, constituting the first national-scale evaluation of spatial and temporal patterns in the abundance of flying arthropods with weather surveillance radar (WSR).

Employing eight years of weather surveillance radar (WSR) data from 2014 to 2021 that cover over 42,000 square kilometres, we have achieved a detailed quantification of arthropod populations across the UK. Our estimates suggest an astonishing annual passage of at least 2.31 (±1.28) quadrillion arthropods, exhibiting significant variation in altitude, distribution, and seasonality. Notably, we report more pronounced declines at northern latitudes and an overall decrease in nocturnal populations, likely influenced by meteorological shifts, land-use changes, and increased light pollution. In contrast, diurnal arthropod numbers appear stable. This groundbreaking study sheds light on the intricacies of arthropod decline and validates the utility of WSR data in ecological monitoring, providing unprecedented detail over broad spatial and temporal scales. 

The seminar will be broadcast live via Zoom, please follow the link below.

https://ncas.zoom.us/my/ncas.seminar.series  

Password: 619447  

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