title: Towards a landscape scale management of pesticides: ERA using changes in modelled occupancy and abundance to assess long-term population impacts of pesticides.
abstract: Pesticides are regulated in Europe and this process includes an environmental risk assessment (ERA) for non-target arthropods (NTA). Traditionally a non-spatial or field trial assessment is used. In this study we exemplify the introduction of a spatial context to the ERA as well as suggest a way in which the results of complex models, necessary for proper inclusion of spatial aspects in the ERA, can be presented and evaluated easily using abundance and occupancy ratios (AOR). We used an agent-based simulation system and an existing model for a widespread carabid beetle (Bembidion lampros), to evaluate the impact of a fictitious highly-toxic pesticide on population density and the distribution of beetles in time and space. Landscape structure and field margin management were evaluated by comparing scenario-based ERAs for the beetle. Source-sink dynamics led to an off-crop impact even when no pesticide was present off-crop. In addition, the impacts increased with multi-year application of the pesticide whereas current ERA considers only maximally one year. These results further indicated a complex interaction between landscape structure and pesticide effect in time, both in-crop and off-crop, indicating the need for NTA ERA to be conducted at landscape- and multi-season temporal-scales. Use of AOR indices to compare ERA outputs facilitated easy comparison of scenarios, allowing simultaneous evaluation of impacts and planning of mitigation measures. The landscape and population ERA approach also demonstrates that there is a potential to change from regulation of a pesticide in isolation, towards the consideration of pesticide management at landscape scales and provision of biodiversity benefits via inclusion and testing of mitigation measures in authorisation procedures.
authors: Department of Bioscience, Århus University, Grenåvej 14, 8410 Rønde, Denmark.
authors: Chris J
authors: CJ
authors: Topping
authors: Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom.
authors: Peter S
authors: PS
authors: Craig
authors: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO BOX 1, 3720 AA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: de Jong
authors: Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Klein
authors: Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland.
authors: Ryszard
authors: R
authors: Laskowski
authors: Department STEBICEF, Palermo University, Via Archirafi, 18., 90123 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Manachini
authors: German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Wörlitzer Platz 1, D-06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Pieper
authors: School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, United Kingdom.
authors: Rob
authors: R
authors: Smith
authors: Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, P3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: José Paulo
authors: JP
authors: Sousa
authors: European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), Via Carlo Magno 1, 43100 Parma, Italy.
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Streissl
authors: German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Wörlitzer Platz 1, D-06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Swarowsky
authors: PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, PO BOX 303, 3720 AH Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Aaldrik
authors: A
authors: Tiktak
authors: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), PO BOX 1, 3720 AA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
authors: Ton
authors: T
authors: van der Linden
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010575:Pesticides; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides
keywords: ALMaSS; Abundance Occupancy Ratio index; Bembidion lampros; Environmental risk assessment; Landscape-scale risk assessment; Source-sink dynamics