Grassland invertebrates including beetles, grasshoppers, and ground-nesting bees depend on warm, diverse grasslands that have declined by over 95% in the UK, threatening populations and individual welfare.
Grassland invertebrate welfare exists primarily at the population level as individual insect welfare remains scientifically uncertain. However, the catastrophic decline of grassland invertebrates represents an immense reduction in the total number of living invertebrate individuals, with welfare significance proportional to whatever level of sentience they possess. Beyond this, invertebrate population collapse has cascading effects on animals with more certain welfare status including birds and bats that depend on insect prey. Ground-nesting bees and beetles require specific microhabitats including bare warm soil, south-facing banks, and diverse flower sources that have been eliminated from most agricultural landscapes. Restoration of even small areas of species-rich grassland produces rapid invertebrate recovery.