MF (Michiel) Wallis de Vries
Professor EmeritusAs special professor in Insect Ecology & Conservation, my mission is to promote evidence-based conservation for insects. Insects represent the highest species diversity on earth and deliver important ecosystem services, such as pollination. Research indicates that species loss is greater in insects than among vertebrates and plants. Yet the attention for insect conservation still lags behind. In my work, I focus on understanding the role of species traits in explaining the response of insects to the three main drivers of environmental change: climate, land use and nitrogen – including their combined impacts. With a focus on butterflies, there are splendid opportunities to benefit from citizen science while advancing the science for effective nature conservation.