1
|
Liebmann L, Schreiner VC, Vormeier P, Weisner O, Liess M. Combined effects of herbicides and insecticides reduce biomass of sensitive aquatic invertebrates. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174343. [PMID: 38960172 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The structure and biomass of aquatic invertebrate communities play a crucial role in the matter dynamics of streams. However, biomass is rarely quantified in ecological assessments of streams, and little is known about the environmental and anthropogenic factors that influence it. In this study, we aimed to identify environmental factors that are associated with invertebrate structure and biomass through a monitoring of 25 streams across Germany. We identified invertebrates, assigned them to taxonomic and trait-based groups, and quantified biomass using image-based analysis. We found that insecticide pressure generally reduced the abundance of insecticide-vulnerable populations (R2 = 0.43 applying SPEARpesticides indicator), but not invertebrate biomass. In contrast, herbicide pressure reduced the biomass of several biomass aggregations. Especially, insecticide-sensitive populations, that were directly (algae feeder, R2 = 0.39) or indirectly (predators, R2 = 0.29) dependent on algae, were affected. This indicated a combined effect of possible food shortage due to herbicides and direct insecticide pressure. Specifically, all streams with increased herbicide pressure showed a reduced overall biomass share of Trichoptera from 43 % to 3 % and those of Ephemeroptera from 20 % to 3 % compared to streams grouped by low herbicide pressure. In contrast, insecticide-insensitive Gastropoda increased from 10 % to 45 %, and non-vulnerable leaf-shredding Crustacea increased from 10 % to 22 %. In summary, our results indicate that at the community level, the direct effects of insecticides and the indirect, food-mediated effects of herbicides exert a combined effect on the biomass of sensitive insect groups, thus disrupting food chains at ecosystem level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liana Liebmann
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, System-Ecotoxicology, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Department Evolutionary Ecology & Environmental Toxicology (E3T), Institute of Ecology, Diversity and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Verena C Schreiner
- Ecotoxicology, Research Centre One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Biology, University Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Philipp Vormeier
- UBA, German Environment Agency, Department Water and Soil, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Oliver Weisner
- UBA, German Environment Agency, Department International Aspects and Pesticides, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Matthias Liess
- UFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, System-Ecotoxicology, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Ecology & Computational Life Science, 52056 Aachen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Schulz R, Bundschuh M, Entling MH, Jungkunst HF, Lorke A, Schwenk K, Schäfer RB. A synthesis of anthropogenic stress effects on emergence-mediated aquatic-terrestrial linkages and riparian food webs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168186. [PMID: 37914130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic stress alters the linkage between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in various ways. Here, we review the contemporary literature on how alterations in aquatic systems through environmental pollution, invasive species and hydromorphological changes carry-over to terrestrial ecosystems and the food webs therein. We consider both the aquatic insect emergence and flooding as pathways through which stressors can propagate from the aquatic to the terrestrial system. We specifically synthesize and contextualize results on the roles of pollutants in the emergence pathway and their top-down consequences. Our review revealed that the emergence and flooding pathway are only considered in isolation and that the overall effects of invasive species or pollutants on food webs at the water-land interface require further attention. While very few recent studies looked at invasive species, a larger number of studies focused on metal transfer compared to pesticides, pharmaceuticals or PCBs, and multiple stress studies up to now left aquatic-terrestrial linkages unconsidered. Recent research on pollutants and emergence used aquatic-terrestrial mesocosms to elucidate the effects of aquatic stressors such as the mosquito control agent Bti, metals or pesticides to understand the effects on riparian spiders. Quality parameters, such as the structural and functional composition of emergent insect communities, the fatty acid profiles, yet also the composition of pollutants transferred to land prove to be important for the effects on riparian spiders. Process-based models including quality of emergence are useful to predict the resulting top-down directed food web effects in the terrestrial recipient ecosystem. In conclusion, we present and recommend a combination of empirical and modelling approaches in order to understand the complexity of aquatic-terrestrial stressor propagation and its spatial and temporal variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany.
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Hermann F Jungkunst
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Andreas Lorke
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Klaus Schwenk
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Huszarik M, Roodt AP, Wernicke T, Chávez F, Metz A, Link M, Lima-Fernandes E, Schulz R, Entling MH. Increased bat hunting at polluted streams suggests chemical exposure rather than prey shortage. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167080. [PMID: 37722422 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Streams and their riparian areas are important habitats and foraging sites for bats feeding on emergent aquatic insects. Chemical pollutants entering freshwater streams from agricultural and wastewater sources have been shown to alter aquatic insect emergence, yet little is known about how this impacts insectivorous bats in riparian areas. In this study, we investigate the relationships between the presence of wastewater effluent, in-stream pesticide toxicity, the number of emergent and flying aquatic insects, and the activity and hunting behaviour of bats at 14 streams in southwestern Germany. Stream sites were located in riparian forests, sheltered from direct exposure to pollutants from agricultural and urban areas. We focused on three bat species associated with riparian areas: Myotis daubentonii, M. cf. brandtii, and Pipistrellus pipistrellus. We found that streams with higher pesticide toxicity and more frequent detection of wastewater also tended to be warmer and have higher nutrient and lower oxygen concentrations. We did not observe a reduction of insect emergence, bat activity or hunting rates in association with pesticide toxicity and wastewater detections. Instead, the activity and hunting rates of Myotis spp. were higher at more polluted sites. The observed increase in bat hunting at more polluted streams suggests that instead of reduced prey availability, chemical pollution at the levels measured in the present study could expose bats to pollutants transported from the stream by emergent aquatic insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maike Huszarik
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany.
| | - Alexis P Roodt
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Teagan Wernicke
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Fernanda Chávez
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Annika Metz
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Moritz Link
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Eva Lima-Fernandes
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany; Eußerthal Ecosystem Research Station, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Birkenthalstr. 13, 76857 Eußerthal, Germany
| | - Martin H Entling
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Brasseur MV, Leese F, Schäfer RB, Schreiner VC, Mayer C. Transcriptomic sequencing data illuminate insecticide-induced physiological stress mechanisms in aquatic non-target invertebrates. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 335:122306. [PMID: 37541380 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Pesticides are major agricultural stressors for freshwater species. Exposure to pesticides can disrupt the biotic integrity of freshwater ecosystems and impair associated ecosystem functions. Unfortunately, physiological mechanisms through which pesticides affect aquatic organisms are largely unknown. For example, the widely-used insecticide chlorantraniliprole is supposed to be highly selective for target pest species, i.e. Lepidoptera (butterflies), but its effect in aquatic non-target taxa is poorly studied. Using RNA-sequencing data, we quantified the insecticide effect on three aquatic invertebrate species: the caddisfly Lepidostoma basale, the mayfly Ephemera danica and the amphipod Gammarus pulex. Further, we tested how the insecticide-induced transcriptional response is modulated by biotic interaction between the two leaf-shredding species L. basale and G. pulex. While G. pulex was only weakly affected by chlorantraniliprole exposure, we detected strong transcriptional responses in L. basale and E. danica, implying that the stressor receptors are conserved between the target taxon Lepidoptera and other insect groups. We found in both insect species evidence for alterations of the developmental program. If transcriptional changes in the developmental program induce alterations in emergence phenology, pronounced effects on food web dynamics in a cross-ecosystem context are expected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie V Brasseur
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113, Bonn, Germany; Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany.
| | - Florian Leese
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 5, 45141, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitaetsstrasse 2, 45141, Essen, Germany.
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Verena C Schreiner
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Christoph Mayer
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Adenauerallee 127, 53113, Bonn, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Corrigendum. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5737-5740. [PMID: 37571870 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
|
6
|
Hallam J, Harris NC. What's going to be on the menu with global environmental changes? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5744-5759. [PMID: 37458101 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing anthropogenic change is altering the planet at an unprecedented rate, threatening biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. Species are responding to abiotic pressures at both individual and population levels, with changes affecting trophic interactions through consumptive pathways. Collectively, these impacts alter the goods and services that natural ecosystems will provide to society, as well as the persistence of all species. Here, we describe the physiological and behavioral responses of species to global changes on individual and population levels that result in detectable changes in diet across terrestrial and marine ecosystems. We illustrate shifts in the dynamics of food webs with implications for animal communities. Additionally, we highlight the myriad of tools available for researchers to investigate the dynamics of consumption patterns and trophic interactions, arguing that diet data are a crucial component of ecological studies on global change. We suggest that a holistic approach integrating the complexities of diet choice and trophic interactions with environmental drivers may be more robust at resolving trends in biodiversity, predicting food web responses, and potentially identifying early warning signs of diversity loss. Ultimately, despite the growing body of long-term ecological datasets, there remains a dearth of diet ecology studies across temporal scales, a shortcoming that must be resolved to elucidate vulnerabilities to changing biophysical conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jane Hallam
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pietz S, Kolbenschlag S, Röder N, Roodt AP, Steinmetz Z, Manfrin A, Schwenk K, Schulz R, Schäfer RB, Zubrod JP, Bundschuh M. Subsidy Quality Affects Common Riparian Web-Building Spiders: Consequences of Aquatic Contamination and Food Resource. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1346-1358. [PMID: 36946335 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic stressors can affect the emergence of aquatic insects. These insects link aquatic and adjacent terrestrial food webs, serving as high-quality subsidy to terrestrial consumers, such as spiders. While previous studies have demonstrated that changes in the emergence biomass and timing may propagate across ecosystem boundaries, the physiological consequences of altered subsidy quality for spiders are largely unknown. We used a model food chain to study the potential effects of subsidy quality: Tetragnatha spp. were exclusively fed with emergent Chironomus riparius cultured in the absence or presence of either copper (Cu), Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti), or a mixture of synthetic pesticides paired with two basal resources (Spirulina vs. TetraMin®) of differing quality in terms of fatty acid (FA) composition. Basal resources shaped the FA profile of chironomids, whereas their effect on the FA profile of spiders decreased, presumably due to the capacity of both chironomids and spiders to modify (dietary) FA. In contrast, aquatic contaminants had negligible effects on prey FA profiles but reduced the content of physiologically important polyunsaturated FAs, such as 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid) and 20:5n-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid), in spiders by approximately 30% in Cu and Bti treatments. This may have contributed to the statistically significant decline (40%-50%) in spider growth. The observed effects in spiders are likely related to prey nutritional quality because biomass consumption by spiders was, because of our experimental design, constant. Analyses of additional parameters that describe the nutritional quality for consumers such as proteins, carbohydrates, and the retention of contaminants may shed further light on the underlying mechanisms. Our results highlight that aquatic contaminants can affect the physiology of riparian spiders, likely by altering subsidy quality, with potential implications for terrestrial food webs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1346-1358. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Pietz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Sara Kolbenschlag
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Nina Röder
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Alexis P Roodt
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Zacharias Steinmetz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Alessandro Manfrin
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Klaus Schwenk
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf B Schäfer
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Jochen P Zubrod
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
- Zubrod Environmental Data Science, Landau, Germany
| | - Mirco Bundschuh
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Landau, Germany
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kochmann J, Laier M, Klimpel S, Wick A, Kunkel U, Oehlmann J, Jourdan J. Infection with acanthocephalans increases tolerance of Gammarus roeselii (Crustacea: Amphipoda) to pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:55582-55595. [PMID: 36897452 PMCID: PMC10121498 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26193-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Crustacean amphipods serve as intermediate hosts for parasites and are at the same time sensitive indicators of environmental pollution in aquatic ecosystems. The extent to which interaction with the parasite influences their persistence in polluted ecosystems is poorly understood. Here, we compared infections of Gammarus roeselii with two species of Acanthocephala, Pomphorhynchus laevis, and Polymorphus minutus, along a pollution gradient in the Rhine-Main metropolitan region of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Prevalence of P. laevis was very low at the unpolluted upstream reaches (P ≤ 3%), while higher prevalence (P ≤ 73%) and intensities of up to 9 individuals were found further downstream-close to an effluent of a large wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Co-infections of P. minutus and P. laevis occurred in 11 individuals. Highest prevalence of P. minutus was P ≤ 9% and one parasite per amphipod host was the maximum intensity recorded. In order to assess whether the infection affects survival in the polluted habitats, we tested the sensitivity of infected and uninfected amphipods towards the pyrethroide insecticide deltamethrin. We found an infection-dependent difference in sensitivity within the first 72 h, with an effect concentration (24 h EC50) of 49.8 ng/l and 26.6 ng/l for infected and uninfected G. roeselii, respectively. Whereas final host abundance might partially explain the high prevalence of P. laevis in G. roeselii, the results of the acute toxicity test suggest a beneficial effect of acanthocephalan infection for G. roeselii at polluted sites. A strong accumulation of pollutants in the parasite could serve as a sink for pesticide exposure of the host. Due to the lack of a co-evolutionary history between parasite and host and a lack of behavioral manipulation (unlike in co-evolved gammarids), the predation risk by fish remains the same, explaining high local prevalence. Thus, our study exemplifies how organismic interaction can favor the persistence of a species under chemical pollution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith Kochmann
- Department of Integrative Parasitology and Zoophysiology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch Weg 15, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Melanie Laier
- Department of Integrative Parasitology and Zoophysiology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sven Klimpel
- Department of Integrative Parasitology and Zoophysiology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Arne Wick
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Uwe Kunkel
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, D-56068 Koblenz, Germany
- Present Address: Bavarian Environment Agency, Specific Analysis for Environmental Monitoring, Bürgermeister-Ulrich-Str. 160, D-86179 Augsburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Oehlmann
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jonas Jourdan
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| |
Collapse
|