Effects of pesticide toxicity, salinity and other environmental variables on selected ecosystem functions in streams and the relevance for ecosystem services

Schäfer, Ralf B.; Bundschuh, Mirco; Rouch, Duncan A.; Szöcs, Eduard; Ohe, Peter C. von der; Pettigrove, Vincent; Schulz, Ralf; Nugegoda, Dayanthi; Kefford, Ben J.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.05.063

Cited by 125 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 59 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Some microbes are also capable of utilizing pesticides as an energy source and may benefit from pesticide exposure10. Pesticides also may affect microbial communities indirectly by altering the physical and chemical characteristics of the aquatic habitats which may suppress some microbial species while stimulating growth and survival of others24. Our study was not designed to determine which of these mechanisms were responsible for observed changes in microbial diversity and composition following exposure to pesticides.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microbial communities are key mediators of critical ecosystem processes such as decomposition of organic matter, nutrient cycling, and detoxification of organic pollutants1345. Pesticide-mediated changes in microbial diversity and community structure can disrupt these ecosystem functions if the pesticide-tolerant microorganisms are unable to compensate for loss of function associated with pesticide-sensitive microbes122429. In addition, microbial communities form the base of aquatic food webs, and their disruption may alter the quality and quantity of food resource available for container-dwelling macroinvertebrates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effect of pesticides on microbial communities in container aquatic habitats

Muturi

Donthu

Fields

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Container aquatic habitats support a specialized community of macroinvertebrates (e.g. mosquitoes) that feed on microbial communities associated with decaying organic matter. These aquatic habitats are often embedded within and around agricultural lands and are frequently exposed to pesticides. We used a microcosm approach to examine the single and combined effects of two herbicides (atrazine, glyphosate), and three insecticides (malathion, carbaryl, permethrin) on microbial communities of container aquatic habitats. MiSeq sequencing of the V4 region of both bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene was used to characterize the microbial communities of indoor microcosms that were either exposed to each pesticide alone, a mix of herbicides, a mix of insecticides, or a mix of all five insecticides. Individual insecticides but not herbicides reduced the microbial diversity and richness and two insecticides, carbaryl and permethrin, also altered the microbial community structure. A mixture of herbicides had no effect on microbial diversity or structure but a mixture of insecticides or all five pesticides reduced microbial diversity and altered the community structure. These findings suggest that exposure of aquatic ecosystems to individual pesticides or their mixtures can disrupt aquatic microbial communities and there is need to decipher how these changes affect resident macroinvertebrate communities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of pesticides on microbial communities in container aquatic habitats

Muturi

Donthu

Fields

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

121

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In other settings, salinity limits crop varieties suitable for irrigated soils and affects crop development and yield (Katerji et al, 2003). It also affects river, stream, and wetland ecosystems (Hart et al, 1990), impacts of climate change on river ecosystems (Suen and Lai, 2013), river diversions and ecology (Das et al, 2012), river environmental flow requirements (Sun et al, 2009), tolerance of macro-invertebrate and the ecosystem protection trigger values (Dunlop et al, 2008), sustainability of agricultural landscapes, carbon sequestration and biodiversity values (George et al, 2012), vegetation-groundwater interactions (Humphries et al, 2011), pesticide toxicity, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services (Schafer et al, 2012), bioavailability of Cu and Zn and other essential plant micronutrients (Speelmans et al, 2010), and causes changes in grain ultrastructure, amylase, protein and amino acid profiles under water, salinity, and combined stresses (Ahmed et al, 2013). These myriad ecosystem health linkages do imply that under shallow groundwater conditions salinity has implications for river basin health and ecosystems and thus imposes carrying capacity constrains in terms of water-savings and unlocking the potential of groundwater development for irrigation.…”

Section: Managing Salinity For Protecting Ecosystem Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the shallow water table on water use of winter wheat and ecosystem health: Implications for unlocking the potential of groundwater in the Fergana Valley (Central Asia)

Karimov

Šimůnek

Hanjra

et al. 2014

Agricultural Water Management

100

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tThis paper analyzes the effect of the shallow water table on water use of the winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that has replaced alfalfa (Medicago sativa) on the irrigated lands of the Fergana Valley, upstream of the Syrdarya River, in Central Asia. The effect of the shallow water table is investigated using HYDRUS-1D. Numerical simulations show that the contribution of the groundwater to evapotranspiration increases with a rising water table and decreases with increasing irrigation applications. Under irrigation conditions, an increase in the groundwater evapotranspiration is associated mainly with an increase in evaporation loss, causing a buildup of salinity in the crop root zone. Evaporation losses from fields planted with winter wheat after the harvest amount up to 45-47% of total evaporation thus affecting soil salinity and ecosystem health. Promoting the use of groundwater for irrigation in order to lower the groundwater table is suggested to achieve water savings from the change in the cropping pattern. Unlocking the potential of groundwater for irrigation in the Fergana Valley can also contribute toward managing soil salinity and improving the health and resilience of water, land and ecosystems of water, land and ecosystems (WLE).

show abstract

“…When salt concentration is too high the organisms are no longer able to keep the osmotic balance within their cells and they die (Cañedo-Argüelles et al, 2013). These effects can scale-up to the ecosystem level; for example, the extinction of shredder aquatic insects (e.g., Trichoptera and Plecoptera) can lead to a significant reduction of leaf decomposition in the river (Cañedo-Argüelles et al, 2014;Schäfer et al, 2012). Among different freshwater organisms, aquatic macroinvertebrates (especially insects) can be highly sensitive to salt pollution, and their communities can be significantly altered by stream salinization (Cañedo-Argüelles et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of potash mining in streams: the Llobregat basin (northeast Spain) as a case study

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Potash mining is significantly increasing the salt concentration of rivers and streams due to lixiviates coming from the mine tailings. In the present study, we have focused on the middle Llobregat basin (northeast Spain), where an important potash mining activity exists from the beginning of the XX century. Up to 50 million tonnes of saline waste have been disposed in the area, mainly composed of sodium chloride. We assessed the ecological status of streams adjacent to the mines by studying different physicochemical and hydromorphological variables, as well as aquatic macroinvertebrates. We found extraordinary high values of salinity in the studied streams, reaching conductivities up to 132.4 mS/cm. Salt-polluted streams were characterized by a deterioration of the riparian vegetation and the fluvial habitat. Both macroinvertebrate richness and abundance decreased with increasing salinity. In the most polluted stream only two families of macroinvertebrates were found: Ephydridae and Ceratopogonidae. According to the biotic indices IBMWP and IMMi-T, none of the sites met the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD; i.e., good ecological status). Overall, we can conclude that potash-mining activities have the potential to cause severe ecological damage to their surrounding streams. This is mainly related to an inadequate management of the mine tailings, leading to highly saline runoff and percolates entering surface waters. Thus, we urge water managers and policy makers to take action to prevent, detect and remediate salt pollution of rivers and streams in potash mining areas.

show abstract

Effects of pesticide toxicity, salinity and other environmental variables on selected ecosystem functions in streams and the relevance for ecosystem services

Cited by 125 publications

References 59 publications

Effect of pesticides on microbial communities in container aquatic habitats

Effect of pesticides on microbial communities in container aquatic habitats

Effects of the shallow water table on water use of winter wheat and ecosystem health: Implications for unlocking the potential of groundwater in the Fergana Valley (Central Asia)

Impact of potash mining in streams: the Llobregat basin (northeast Spain) as a case study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About