Over the last century, nearly all of the UK's wildflower meadows have been destroyed by expanding farms, towns and cities. This loss of habitat has driven nature's decline, according to research led by birds and nature conservation charity the RSPB. As meadows and other wild spaces have disappeared in the UK and further afield, massive population crashes have followed: Europe has lost over 600 million birds since 1980, while insects have seen a 76% decline.