For a gardener, yields are a common measure of garden success. Plant 6 cucumber plants, 5 plants grow and produce expected yields - success! But there are so many things in a garden that are out of our control and impact yields - the weather, squirrels and other wildlife that eat seeds before they germinate, the same wildlife stealing a fresh snack. One success that I’ve seen in my garden this year is the number of insects. Butterflies, moths, grasshoppers, flies, wasps, bees, fireflies to name a few. I’ve also seen a few Japanese Beetles, but there are definitely more beneficial insects than harmful ones. Even if some plants aren't producing like I would have hoped, I still see a successful garden because of the greater insect biodiversity.

I have been feeding the soil and monitoring the microbial life for 5 years. Different things like adding compost, mulch, and cover crops;  plant rotations and trying different types of plants; disturbing the soil as little as possible have all resulted in an improved backyard ecosystem. Even if the I didn't get as many beans as I would have liked, I am enjoying the habitat I've created for other species...especially the flash of fireflies just after dark.

Read more about why biodiversity is so important: https://www.conservation.org/blog/why-is-biodiversity-important.

Written by Julia Dupuis, Gaia College Staff

A variation of this post was originally posted to soilsalivecomposting.ca in August 2025. This post was edited and re-posted here by the author.