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- Title
PESTICIDES AND AMPHIBIANS: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY CONTEXT.
- Authors
Relyea, Rick A.; Schoeppner, Nancy M.; Hoverman, Jason T.
- Abstract
The article focuses on understanding the effects of pesticides on amphibians. The widespread application of pesticides has attracted the attention of ecologists as they struggle to understand the impacts of these chemicals on natural communities. While pesticides have the potential to affect many aquatic taxa, the impacts on amphibians are of particular concern in the past because of the apparent global decline of many species. The researchers conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment on aquatic communities containing three tadpole species, zooplankton, and algae. They manipulated a factorial combination of predators and pesticides. It is found that Roundup had substantial direct negative effects on the tadpoles, reducing total tadpole survival and biomass by 40%. However, Roundup had no indirect effects on the amphibian community via predator survival or algal abundance. Malathion had few direct effects on the tadpoles. Malathion caused no indirect effects with one of the predators but caused substantial positive effects on amphibians due to the sensitivity of the predatory beetles to the insecticide. Thus, while high concentrations of malathion can directly kill larval anurans, more ecologically relevant concentrations can have large positive effects in mesocosms by removing predatory insects.
- Subjects
PHYSIOLOGICAL effects of pesticides; AMPHIBIANS; AMPHIBIAN declines; MALATHION; BIOTIC communities; INSECTICIDES
- Publication
Ecological Applications, 2005, Vol 15, Issue 4, p1125
- ISSN
1051-0761
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1890/04-0559