Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3354/ab00472
Title (Primary) Herbicide indirectly reduces physiological condition of a benthic grazer
Author Rybicki, M.; Winkelmann, C.; Hellmann, C.; Bartels, P.; Jungmann, D.
Source Titel Aquatic Biology
Year 2012
Department FLOEK
Volume 17
Issue 2
Page From 153
Page To 166
Language englisch
Keywords Benthic grazing; Indirect effects; Herbicide; Mayfly; Rhithrogena semicolorata; Physiological condition; Fecundity
Abstract Freshwater ecosystems are polluted with various environmental chemicals. For example, pesticides enter the aquatic environment via spray drift or surface runoff from catchment areas used for industrialised agriculture. In the present study, we investigated the response of the grazer−aufwuchs interaction when exposed to the herbicide terbutryn in a microcosm experiment. Terbutryn induced a trophic cascade with negative effects on grazers by inhibiting growth of primary producers. We determined a no-observed-effect concentration (measured as particulate organic carbon, NOECPOC) of 0.21 µg l−1 for aufwuchs biomass and a lowest-observed-effect concentration (LOECPOC) of 2.01 µg l−1. Furthermore, a shift in the aufwuchs community was detected in all terbutryn treatments nearly 4 wk after exposure, and this shift persisted until the end of the experiment in the treatment with the highest terbutryn concentration. In addition, reduced energy stores (triglycerides, TG) of the grazer Rhithrogena semicolorata (Heptageniidae: Ephemeroptera) were found (NOECTG = 0.03 µg l−1, LOECTG = 0.21 µg l−1), which was interpreted as an indication of moderate starvation during the experiment. While starvation did not result in reduced larval growth as might have been expected, the observed reduction of TG content in larvae (24%) is consistent with results from a separate experiment in which starvation alone induced a 15% reduction of TG content as well as reduced emergence, reduced size at emergence, and reduced egg production.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=13302
Rybicki, M., Winkelmann, C., Hellmann, C., Bartels, P., Jungmann, D. (2012):
Herbicide indirectly reduces physiological condition of a benthic grazer
Aquat. Biol. 17 (2), 153 - 166 10.3354/ab00472