How to count insects from space

But there is a glimmer of hope in an unexpected place: space. And it doesn't require fancy sensors or expensive new satellites. As researchers from the University of Würzburg reported in a 2019 paper in Nature Communications, "Radar Vision in the Mapping of Forest Biodiversity from Space," it turns out that freely available radar data can be used to figure out where even the smallest insects live. To make this work, scientists first perform comprehensive "ground truth" studies. They take a thorough look at just which insects are living in an area, attracting them using bright lights or setting out pitfall traps to lure and contain them.