Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.aquatox.2011.04.004
Title (Primary) Environmental context determines community sensitivity of freshwater zooplankton to a pesticide
Author Stampfli, N.C.; Knillmann, S.; Liess, M.; Beketov, M.A.
Source Titel Aquatic Toxicology
Year 2011
Department OEKOTOX
Volume 104
Issue 1-2
Page From 116
Page To 120
Language englisch
Keywords Abiotic factors; Biotic interaction; Mesocosm; Risk assessment; Freshwater zooplankton
Abstract The environment is currently changing worldwide, and ecosystems are being exposed to multiple anthropogenic pressures. Understanding and consideration of such environmental conditions is required in ecological risk assessment of toxicants, but it remains basically limited. In the present study, we aimed to determine how and to what extent alterations in the abiotic and biotic environmental conditions can alter the sensitivity of a community to an insecticide, as well as its recovery after contamination. We conducted an outdoor microcosm experiment in which zooplankton communities were exposed to the insecticide esfenvalerate (0.03, 0.3, and 3 µg/L) under different regimes of solar radiation and community density, which represented different levels of food availability and competition. We focused on the sensitivity of the entire community and analysed it using multivariate statistical methods, such as principal response curves and redundancy analysis. The results showed that community sensitivity varied markedly between the treatments. In the experimental series with the lowest availability of food and strongest competition significant effects of the insecticide were found at the concentration of 0.03 µg/L. In contrast, in the series with relatively higher food availability and weak competition such effects were detected at 3 µg/L only. However, we did not find significant differences in the community recovery rates between the experimental treatments. These findings indicate that environmental context is more important for ecotoxicological evaluation than assumed previously.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=11016
Stampfli, N.C., Knillmann, S., Liess, M., Beketov, M.A. (2011):
Environmental context determines community sensitivity of freshwater zooplankton to a pesticide
Aquat. Toxicol. 104 (1-2), 116 - 120 10.1016/j.aquatox.2011.04.004