1. Declines in insectivorous birds are associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations
- Author
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Hallmann, Caspar A., Foppen, Ruud P.B., van Turnhout, Chris A.M., de Kroon, Hans, and Jongejans, Eelke
- Subjects
Netherlands -- Environmental aspects ,Population declines -- Measurement ,Insectivorous animals -- Protection and preservation -- Distribution ,Neonicotinoid insecticides -- Health aspects ,Company distribution practices ,Environmental issues ,Science and technology ,Zoology and wildlife conservation - Abstract
Recent studies have shown that neonicotinoid insecticides have adverse effects on non-target invertebrate species (1-6). Invertebrates constitute a substantial part of the diet of many bird species during the breeding season and are indispensable for raising offspring (7). We investigated the hypothesis that the most widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, has a negative impact on insectivorous bird populations. Here we show that, in the Netherlands, local population trends were significantly more negative in areas with higher surface-water concentrations of imidacloprid. At imidacloprid concentrations of more than 20 nanograms per litre, bird populations tended to decline by 3.5 per cent on average annually. Additional analyses revealed that this spatial pattern of decline appeared only after the introduction of imidacloprid to the Netherlands, in the mid-1990s. We further show that the recent negative relationship remains after correcting for spatial differences in land-use changes that are known to affect bird populations in farmland. Our results suggest that the impact of neonicotinoids on the natural environment is even more substantial than has recently been reported and is reminiscent of the effects of persistent insecticides in the past. Future legislation should take into account the potential cascading effects of neonicotinoids on ecosystems., Although concerns have been raised about the direct effects of neonicotinoids on non-target vertebrate species (8), neonicotinoids are in general thought to be less harmful to mammals and birds than [...]
- Published
- 2014