Data analysis isn’t the most flashy aspect of nature conservation, but it’s one of the most vital skills in the effort to protect biodiversity—equipping conservationists with the knowledge to make timely and effective decisions.
Bekka Brodie is an entomologist in charge of Columbia’s Insect Ecology and Behavior Lab in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology (E3B) and an incoming faculty member in the new M.S. in Biodiversity Data Analytics (BIDO) program at the Columbia University School of Professional Studies. Much like data analysis, insect research is a not-so-glamorous area of biodiversity work that is absolutely essential for the health of the planet.
Among her various topics of research, Brodie is involved with surveying the spotted lanternfly and its behavior. The bug’s spread across North America has been a major source of concern in recent years, as the species—native to Asia—was predicted to cause significant damage to local crops, with potentially devastating effects in wine-producing regions. In order to curb its impact, kids and adults alike have been advised to kill the bugs on sight, leading to a mass stomping campaign that’s left thousands of red-and-gray dotted carcasses littered across the sidewalks of New York City.
“So far, I haven’t seen any data showing whether stomping is effective. No one’s actually studied whether the population has decreased as a result of this community control effort,” said Brodie, who expressed concern at the decision to encourage a mass extermination effort among the public before data had been collected and analyzed at a large enough scale to be accurate. Brodie and her students’ work aims to fill gaps in knowledge so that the strategy toward spotted lanternflies shifts away from misguided policies and is replaced by “curiosity and asking questions and learning about this new species instead of just killing it right away.”
In the following interview, Brodie speaks with SPS about the research to date and where further data collection is needed.
Can you share some of the misconceptions about this invasive species?
So first, be careful with calling it invasive. “Invasive” means that it’s doing damage. I think that in some places it is, but we don’t know if it’s really doing damage in the way that we were predicting it to do.
We know that the bug requires the tree of heaven—that’s its host plant. My student Katherine Poulos looked at each physiological stage to see which plants that they’re on. As they grow older, they require the tree of heaven, which is also an introduced species from Asia that we’ve had here since the late 1700s. They need this plant to increase their fitness, to be healthy, happy bugs, and to make more eggs.
If we had more people who had the skills in data processing, we could have more folks out there pulling information. It would help if we had people with the right skills, asking questions like: Is their population decreasing because of the stomping or is it decreasing because of a more boom-and-bust type of situation?
Why do we need more data and people with data analysis skills in addressing the spread of the spotted lanternfly and biodiversity issues more broadly?
Having more data on the population in general tells us a lot more about if what we’re doing is really being effective, or if we’re putting all of our efforts in the wrong area. We’re talking about the spotted lantern bug, but that’s just one example. Right now in New York City, no one’s ever done a systematic survey of the types of insects, the biodiversity of insects, or their populations, their distributions.
We have many insect populations that are decreasing drastically. It’s predicted that 10 years from now, 40 percent of our insect species will be extinct. This is the kind of work that these students can do using biodiversity data and analytics skills: What’s even here? How is it changing? How is it being shaped with climate change? With urban development? With all of these things that are going on and happening so rapidly?
Are there any other types of insects that play a huge role in maintaining the planet that need more research behind them?
I think there are many. Among those that are socially unacceptable are the blow flies or the filth flies that are breaking down our waste. We don’t see a whole bunch of feces or vertebrate carcasses or dead things lying around, partly because these guys are breaking them down and putting them back into our ecosystem. They’re also our No. 2 pollinator. So in terms of some insects that we like to neglect or not think about are the ones that are doing the dirty jobs, the ones that are breaking down all of the stuff that we [humans] don’t—it could be the filth flies. It could also be termites or saproxylic beetles that are breaking down all of the wood and plant material in Central Park.
We know so little about our inverts and our insects in particular, relative to the birds and mammals, which is a shame considering these are the taxa that take up the largest proportion of all the living things in the world.
What are you looking forward to within the new Biodiversity Data Analytics program?
I am really interested in using participatory science data: looking at the New Yorkers who are posting about all the cool things that they’re seeing and finding in New York City parks [including via iNaturalist]. Also, collaborating with the American Museum of Natural History and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility [GBIF] to use historical data on these same organisms so we can learn more about our insect biodiversity, our invert biodiversity, the populations and distributions. I’m hoping that’s where I might fit in. Maybe we will have some students work on that kind of data, learning more about our insects here.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Biodiversity Data Analytics program at Columbia University equips a new generation of leaders with the data literacy, analytical tools, and interdisciplinary expertise to design evidence-based solutions that benefit both people and nature.
Designed for both working professionals and early-career change-makers, this online program allows students to learn from anywhere while gaining the skills to collect, analyze, and translate biodiversity data into meaningful action. Coursework prepares students to take on nature data applications across industries, from ESG finance to urban planning to environmental consulting, and culminates in a hands-on capstone with industry partners that provides practical experience, valuable networks, and the tools to make an immediate impact.
The priority application deadline for the M.S. in Biodiversity Data Analytics program is February 15, with a final deadline of June 1. Learn more about the program here.
