Feckler Alexander, Kahlert Maria, Bundschuh Mirco
Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2015 Oct;95(4):421-7. doi: 10.1007/s00128-015-1642-1. Epub 2015 Sep 1.
Biofilms play a fundamental ecological role in freshwater ecosystems as they contribute to ecosystem function(s) such as autotrophic primary production, organic matter decomposition and the bottom-up directed energy transfer in the food web. The present focused review summarizes the scientific knowledge on how the roles of autotrophic and heterotrophic biofilms can be modulated as a response to chemical (i.e., pesticide) stress. We discuss how horizontal effects (alterations in the structure of biofilms) can affect the physiological fitness and life history strategy of the next trophic level (vertical effects), namely primary consumers. Since the literature indicates that heterotrophic biofilms are currently at risk as a result of pesticide stress, the protectiveness of environmental risk assessment in Europe as well as North America is questioned. By briefly outlining substantial knowledge gaps, we provide ideas on how the identified uncertainties may be empirically addressed.
生物膜在淡水生态系统中发挥着重要的生态作用，因为它们有助于生态系统功能，如自养初级生产、有机物质分解以及食物网中自下而上的能量转移。本重点综述总结了关于自养和异养生物膜的作用如何作为对化学（即农药）胁迫的响应而被调节的科学知识。我们讨论了水平效应（生物膜结构的改变）如何影响下一个营养级（垂直效应）即初级消费者的生理适应性和生活史策略。由于文献表明异养生物膜目前因农药胁迫而处于危险之中，欧洲和北美的环境风险评估的保护性受到质疑。通过简要概述大量知识空白，我们提供了关于如何通过实证解决已识别的不确定性的思路。
