The freshwater biota of British agricultural landscapes and their sensitivity to pesticides

Jeremy Biggs; Penny Williams; Mericia Whitfield; Pascale Nicolet; Colin Brown; John Hollis; Dave Arnold; Tim Pepper

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.11.013

The freshwater biota of British agricultural landscapes and their sensitivity to pesticides

Jeremy Biggs, Penny Williams, Mericia Whitfield, Pascale Nicolet, Colin Brown, John Hollis, Dave Arnold, Tim Pepper

Environment and Geography

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study analysed information from national and regional datasets gathered in Great Britain describing the occurrence of aquatic macroinvertebrates and macrophytes in ponds, ditches, streams, rivers and lakes, across 12 agricultural landscape classes and a 13th class comprising non-agricultural land. The study found major differences in the composition of the invertebrate faunas of running and still water. River and stream assemblages had a relatively high proportion of species (20-40%) in groups believed to be sensitive to pesticides (mayflies, stoneflies, amphipod crustaceans). The proportion of these taxa also varied across the landscape with greater numbers of pesticide- sensitive species present in streams in more acid landscape classes. Ponds, in contrast, were dominated by water beetles and water bugs and supported fewer sensitive taxa (ca. 5% of the species present). The proportion of the fauna made up by these two taxonomic groups in ponds varied little between landscape classes. Ditches were intermediate between ponds and streams in both taxonomic composition and their variability across landscape class. Invertebrate species richness and rarity values were highest in rivers and ponds with fewer species in streams and ditches. Ponds typically supported more uncommon invertebrate species than other waterbody types. Plant assemblage data showed that, except for lakes, wetland landscape types (fenlands and valleys) were generally richer in species, with more uncommon taxa, than other landscapes. Ditch floras were often outstanding in these areas. The study findings have applications and implications in areas such as the development of environmentally valid mesocosm studies and for the creation of realistic scenarios in probabilistic risk assessment. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	137-148
Number of pages	12
Journal	Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Volume	122
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2006.11.013
Publication status	Published - Oct 2007

Keywords

invertebrate
macrophyte
catchment
landscape
pesticide
risk assessment
CONSERVATION VALUE
STREAMS
PONDS
CLASSIFICATION
COMMUNITIES
DITCHES
RIVER
LAKES

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10.1016/j.agee.2006.11.013

Cite this

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title = "The freshwater biota of British agricultural landscapes and their sensitivity to pesticides",

abstract = "This study analysed information from national and regional datasets gathered in Great Britain describing the occurrence of aquatic macroinvertebrates and macrophytes in ponds, ditches, streams, rivers and lakes, across 12 agricultural landscape classes and a 13th class comprising non-agricultural land. The study found major differences in the composition of the invertebrate faunas of running and still water. River and stream assemblages had a relatively high proportion of species (20-40%) in groups believed to be sensitive to pesticides (mayflies, stoneflies, amphipod crustaceans). The proportion of these taxa also varied across the landscape with greater numbers of pesticide- sensitive species present in streams in more acid landscape classes. Ponds, in contrast, were dominated by water beetles and water bugs and supported fewer sensitive taxa (ca. 5% of the species present). The proportion of the fauna made up by these two taxonomic groups in ponds varied little between landscape classes. Ditches were intermediate between ponds and streams in both taxonomic composition and their variability across landscape class. Invertebrate species richness and rarity values were highest in rivers and ponds with fewer species in streams and ditches. Ponds typically supported more uncommon invertebrate species than other waterbody types. Plant assemblage data showed that, except for lakes, wetland landscape types (fenlands and valleys) were generally richer in species, with more uncommon taxa, than other landscapes. Ditch floras were often outstanding in these areas. The study findings have applications and implications in areas such as the development of environmentally valid mesocosm studies and for the creation of realistic scenarios in probabilistic risk assessment. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.",

keywords = "invertebrate, macrophyte, catchment, landscape, pesticide, risk assessment, CONSERVATION VALUE, STREAMS, PONDS, CLASSIFICATION, COMMUNITIES, DITCHES, RIVER, LAKES",

author = "Jeremy Biggs and Penny Williams and Mericia Whitfield and Pascale Nicolet and Colin Brown and John Hollis and Dave Arnold and Tim Pepper",

year = "2007",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1016/j.agee.2006.11.013",

language = "English",

volume = "122",

pages = "137--148",

journal = "Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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T1 - The freshwater biota of British agricultural landscapes and their sensitivity to pesticides

AU - Biggs, Jeremy

AU - Williams, Penny

AU - Whitfield, Mericia

AU - Nicolet, Pascale

AU - Brown, Colin

AU - Hollis, John

AU - Arnold, Dave

AU - Pepper, Tim

PY - 2007/10

Y1 - 2007/10

N2 - This study analysed information from national and regional datasets gathered in Great Britain describing the occurrence of aquatic macroinvertebrates and macrophytes in ponds, ditches, streams, rivers and lakes, across 12 agricultural landscape classes and a 13th class comprising non-agricultural land. The study found major differences in the composition of the invertebrate faunas of running and still water. River and stream assemblages had a relatively high proportion of species (20-40%) in groups believed to be sensitive to pesticides (mayflies, stoneflies, amphipod crustaceans). The proportion of these taxa also varied across the landscape with greater numbers of pesticide- sensitive species present in streams in more acid landscape classes. Ponds, in contrast, were dominated by water beetles and water bugs and supported fewer sensitive taxa (ca. 5% of the species present). The proportion of the fauna made up by these two taxonomic groups in ponds varied little between landscape classes. Ditches were intermediate between ponds and streams in both taxonomic composition and their variability across landscape class. Invertebrate species richness and rarity values were highest in rivers and ponds with fewer species in streams and ditches. Ponds typically supported more uncommon invertebrate species than other waterbody types. Plant assemblage data showed that, except for lakes, wetland landscape types (fenlands and valleys) were generally richer in species, with more uncommon taxa, than other landscapes. Ditch floras were often outstanding in these areas. The study findings have applications and implications in areas such as the development of environmentally valid mesocosm studies and for the creation of realistic scenarios in probabilistic risk assessment. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

AB - This study analysed information from national and regional datasets gathered in Great Britain describing the occurrence of aquatic macroinvertebrates and macrophytes in ponds, ditches, streams, rivers and lakes, across 12 agricultural landscape classes and a 13th class comprising non-agricultural land. The study found major differences in the composition of the invertebrate faunas of running and still water. River and stream assemblages had a relatively high proportion of species (20-40%) in groups believed to be sensitive to pesticides (mayflies, stoneflies, amphipod crustaceans). The proportion of these taxa also varied across the landscape with greater numbers of pesticide- sensitive species present in streams in more acid landscape classes. Ponds, in contrast, were dominated by water beetles and water bugs and supported fewer sensitive taxa (ca. 5% of the species present). The proportion of the fauna made up by these two taxonomic groups in ponds varied little between landscape classes. Ditches were intermediate between ponds and streams in both taxonomic composition and their variability across landscape class. Invertebrate species richness and rarity values were highest in rivers and ponds with fewer species in streams and ditches. Ponds typically supported more uncommon invertebrate species than other waterbody types. Plant assemblage data showed that, except for lakes, wetland landscape types (fenlands and valleys) were generally richer in species, with more uncommon taxa, than other landscapes. Ditch floras were often outstanding in these areas. The study findings have applications and implications in areas such as the development of environmentally valid mesocosm studies and for the creation of realistic scenarios in probabilistic risk assessment. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

KW - invertebrate

KW - macrophyte

KW - catchment

KW - landscape

KW - pesticide

KW - risk assessment

KW - CONSERVATION VALUE

KW - STREAMS

KW - PONDS

KW - CLASSIFICATION

KW - COMMUNITIES

KW - DITCHES

KW - RIVER

KW - LAKES

U2 - 10.1016/j.agee.2006.11.013

DO - 10.1016/j.agee.2006.11.013

M3 - Article

VL - 122

SP - 137

EP - 148

JO - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

JF - Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

IS - 2

ER -