title: Identification of realistic worst case aquatic macroinvertebrate species for prospective risk assessment using the trait concept.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Approaches in environmental risk assessment for pesticides are becoming more and more realistic. Thereby, risk assessment has to be protective in a way that no long-lasting (adverse) effects on populations will occur in the environment. Since this imperative includes species generally showing high population vulnerability due to their life history traits, prospective risk assessment should be based on realistic worst cases. Based on life history traits, the purpose of the current study was to verify whether a worst case combination of low potential for intrinsic recovery and low ability for recolonisation can be found in the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  Combinations of traits related to dispersal ability and reproduction of macroinvertebrates were investigated using monitoring data from edge of field water bodies in Germany. The relative distribution of traits was analyzed across different agricultural regions and across sites of different potential for exposure to pesticides. Species were sorted in a tiered approach in order to gain a list of realistic worst case species.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Life history traits were found equally distributed across different regions. Thereby, dispersal ability and voltinism were not randomly combined. Within the data analysed, low dispersal ability was found to be exclusive to semivoltine taxa. Owing to their appearance in reference sites, poor dispersal ability and a long time reproduction, three species were considered potentially worst case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trait approach was found to be suitable in comparing trait distributions within different regions and in compiling a list of critical taxa for consideration in environmental risk assessment.
authors: Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. andre.gergs@bio5.rwth-aachen.de
authors: André
authors: A
authors: Gergs
authors: Silke
authors: S
authors: Classen
authors: Udo
authors: U
authors: Hommen
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: Preuss
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005858:Germany; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012098:Reproduction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013045:Species Specificity; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides; D014873:Water Pollutants