Barmentlo S Henrik, Schrama Maarten, Cieraad Ellen, de Snoo Geert R, Musters C J M, van Bodegom Peter M, Vijver Martina G
Department of Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand.
Ecol Lett. 2025 Apr;28(4):e70121. doi: 10.1111/ele.70121.
Freshwater ecosystems worldwide are under pressure from neonicotinoid insecticides. While it is recognised that communities of species are responsible for ecosystem functioning, it remains unknown if neonicotinoid-induced community transformations negatively affect ecosystem functioning. Therefore, we employed an experimental approach with 36 naturally established freshwater ecosystems exposed to increasing field-realistic concentrations of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid. Upon exposure, we found severe degradation of ecosystem functioning in the form of loss of organic matter consumption and dramatic shifts in primary productivity. This functional decline coincides with strongly eroded species co-occurrence networks to the point that these are indistinguishable from randomised assemblages of species. Together, these findings show how current environmental concentrations of a neonicotinoid can strongly disrupt freshwater ecosystem functioning via degradation of the invertebrate food web. Since this dramatic ecosystem degradation occurs below nearly all identified ecotoxicological risks, we call here for the reconsideration of the use of these insecticides.
全球淡水生态系统正面临新烟碱类杀虫剂的压力。虽然人们认识到物种群落对生态系统功能起着重要作用，但新烟碱类杀虫剂引起的群落转变是否会对生态系统功能产生负面影响仍不清楚。因此，我们采用了一种实验方法，利用36个自然形成的淡水生态系统，使其暴露于田间实际浓度不断增加的新烟碱类杀虫剂噻虫啉中。暴露后，我们发现生态系统功能严重退化，表现为有机质消耗减少和初级生产力急剧变化。这种功能衰退与物种共生网络的强烈侵蚀同时发生，以至于这些网络与随机的物种组合难以区分。这些研究结果共同表明，新烟碱类杀虫剂目前的环境浓度如何通过破坏无脊椎动物食物网而强烈干扰淡水生态系统功能。由于这种严重的生态系统退化几乎发生在所有已确定的生态毒理学风险水平之下，我们在此呼吁重新考虑这些杀虫剂的使用。
