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Here we build on the manifesto 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of World Scientists. As a group of conservation biologists deeply concerned about the decline of insect populations, we here review what we know about the drivers of insect extinctions, their consequences, and how extinctions can negatively impact humanity. We are causing insect extinctions by driving habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, use of polluting and harmful substances, the spread of invasive species, global climate change, direct overexploitation, and co-extinction of species dependent on other species. With insect extinctions, we lose much more than species. We lose abundance and biomass of insects, diversity across space and time with consequent homogenization, large parts of the tree of life, unique ecological functions and traits, and fundamental parts of extensive networks of biotic interactions. Such losses lead to the decline of key ecosystem services on which humanity depends. From pollination and decomposition, to being resources for new medicines, habitat quality indication and many others, insects provide essential and irreplaceable services. We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and curb insect extinctions. An investment in research programs that generate local, regional and global strategies that counter this trend is essential. Solutions are available and implementable, but urgent action is needed now to match our intentions. • We are pushing many ecosystems beyond recovery, resulting in insect extinctions. • Causes are habitat loss, pollution, invasives, climate change, and overexploitation. • We lose biomass, diversity, unique histories, functions, and interaction networks. • Insect declines lead to loss of essential, irreplaceable services to humanity. • Action to save insect species is urgent, for both ecosystems and human survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subterranean ecosystems host unique biodiversity and deliver important services to humans. Yet, available data for subterranean ecosystems are limited in space and/or taxonomic scope and global monitoring programs are absent, preventing practitioners to develop effective conservation and management strategies. Expert opinion may help overcome some of these knowledge gaps. We surveyed experts on a wide variety of subterranean ecosystems and taxa around the world, aiming to quantify the importance of anthropogenic threats and conservation measures for subterranean ecosystems and to provide a roadmap on how to preserve these fundamental habitats and associated species and ecosystem services. We obtained 279 responses from 155 experts in different subterranean habitats, taxa, and regions. Experts perceived surface habitat change, direct habitat destruction (e.g., pollution, damming, mining), and climate change as the most relevant threats impacting subterranean ecosystems. Legislation, land protection, and education were scored as the most effective conservation measures, whereas species-level conservation was deemed less relevant. Whenever lacking hard data, expert opinion may be an effective, largely available, yet often overlooked source of information to implement timely conservation interventions for subterranean ecosystems. The most important threats (weights, in order of importance from left to right) affecting subterranean species and ecosystems according to experts evaluation and the most effective measures (circles) that should be taken to improve their conservation status. [Display omitted] • According to experts, subterranean ecosystems are primarily impacted by climate change and surface habitat change. • Legislation, land protection, and education were scored as the most effective conservation measures. • Expert opinion may be effective in the implementation of conservation interventions for poorly known subterranean ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]