Editing Dragonfly (section)

=== Conservation ===

[[File:Dragonflies - oze national park - 2021 8 2.ogg|thumb|Dragonflies in [[Oze National Park]]]]

Most odonatologists live in temperate areas and the dragonflies of North America and Europe have been the subject of much research. However, the majority of species live in tropical areas and have been little studied. With the destruction of rainforest habitats, many of these species are in danger of becoming extinct before they have even been named.  The greatest cause of decline is forest clearance with the consequent drying up of streams and pools which become clogged with silt. The damming of rivers for hydroelectric schemes and the drainage of low-lying land has reduced suitable habitat, as has pollution and the introduction of alien species.<ref name=Moore>{{cite web |url=https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/1997-042.pdf |title=Dragonflies: status survey and conservation action plan |author=Moore, N.W. |year=1997 |publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature |access-date=13 September 2017}}</ref>

In 1997, the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] set up a status survey and conservation action plan for dragonflies. This proposes the establishment of protected areas around the world and the management of these areas to provide suitable habitat for dragonflies. Outside these areas, encouragement should be given to modify forestry, agricultural, and industrial practices to enhance conservation. At the same time, more research into dragonflies needs to be done, consideration should be given to pollution control and the public should be educated about the importance of [[biodiversity]].<ref name=Moore/>

Habitat degradation has reduced dragonfly populations across the world, for example in Japan.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Taku |first1=Kadoya |last2=Shin-ichi |first2=Suda |last3=Izumi |first3=Washitani |title=Dragonfly Crisis in Japan: A likely Consequence of Recent Agricultural Habitat Degradation |journal=Biological Conservation |date=2009 |volume=142 |issue=9 |pages=1889–1905 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.033|bibcode=2009BCons.142.1899K }}</ref> Over 60% of Japan's wetlands were lost in the 20th century, so its dragonflies now depend largely on rice fields, ponds, and creeks. Dragonflies feed on pest insects in rice, acting as a natural pest control.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Channa N. B. Bambaradeniya|author2=Felix P. Amerasinghe|title=Biodiversity associated with the rice field agroecosystem in Asian countries: A brief review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QPgdBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 |year=2004 |publisher=IWMI |isbn=978-92-9090-532-5|page=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Washitani |first1=Izumi |title=Restoration of Biologically-Diverse Floodplain Wetlands Including Paddy Fields |journal=Global Environmental Research |date=2008 |volume=12 |pages=95–99}}</ref> Dragonflies are steadily declining in Africa, and represent a conservation priority.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Simaika |first1=John P. |last2=Samways |first2=Michael J. |last3=Kipping |first3=Jens |last4=Suhling |first4=Frank |last5=Dijkstra |first5=Klaas-Douwe B. |last6=Clausnitzer |first6=Viola |last7=Boudot |first7=Jean Pierre |last8=Domisch  |first8=Sami |title=Continental-Scale Conservation Prioritization of African Dragonflies |journal=Biological Conservation |date=2013 |volume=157 |pages=245–254 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2012.08.039|bibcode=2013BCons.157..245S }}</ref>

The dragonfly's long lifespan and low population density makes it vulnerable to disturbance, such as from collisions with vehicles on roads built near wetlands. Species that fly low and slow may be most at risk.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Soluk |last2=Zercher |last3=Worthington |first1=Daniel A.|first2=Deanna S.|first3=Amy M.|title=Influence of roadways on patterns of mortality and flight behavior of adult dragonflies near wetland areas |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=144 |issue=5 |year=2011 |pages=1638–1643 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2011.02.015|bibcode=2011BCons.144.1638S }}</ref>

Dragonflies are attracted to shiny surfaces that produce polarization which they can mistake for water, and they have been known to aggregate close to polished gravestones, solar panels, automobiles, and other such structures on which they attempt to lay eggs. These can have a local impact on dragonfly populations; methods of reducing the attractiveness of structures such as solar panels are under experimentation.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Gabor |last1=Horvath |first2=Miklos |last2=Blaho |first3=Adam |last3=Egri |first4=Gyorgy |last4=Kriska |first5=Istvan |last5=Seres |first6=Bruce |last6=Robertson |title=Reducing the Maladaptive Attractiveness of Solar Panels to Polarotactic Insects |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=1644–1653 |year=2010  |pmid=20455911 |bibcode=2010ConBi..24.1644H |doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01518.x |s2cid=39299883 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first1=Gabor |last1=Horvath |first2=Peter |last2=Malik |first3=Gyorgy |last3=Kriska |first4=Hansruedi |last4=Wildermuth |title=Ecological traps for dragonflies in a cemetery: the attraction of Sympetrum species (Odonata: Libellulidae)by horizontally polarizing black gravestones |journal=Freshwater Biology |year=2007 |volume=52 |issue=9 |pages=1700–1709 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2427.2007.01798.x |bibcode=2007FrBio..52.1700H }}</ref>