Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study
Aquatic biomass and essential nutrients can subsidize terrestrial food webs. However, stressors in the aquatic ecosystem, such as the non-chemical mosquito control agent Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), may affect such subsidies by changing the dynamics and diversity of emergent aquatic ins...
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Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005445 |
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| author | Agnes Schöndorfer Sara Kolbenschlag Peer Bauspiess Jens Schirmel Eric Bollinger Alessandro Manfrin Mirco Bundschuh |
| author_facet | Agnes Schöndorfer Sara Kolbenschlag Peer Bauspiess Jens Schirmel Eric Bollinger Alessandro Manfrin Mirco Bundschuh |
| author_sort | Agnes Schöndorfer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aquatic biomass and essential nutrients can subsidize terrestrial food webs. However, stressors in the aquatic ecosystem, such as the non-chemical mosquito control agent Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), may affect such subsidies by changing the dynamics and diversity of emergent aquatic insects. Such changes in emergence phenology may influence riparian predators with consequences for the terrestrial food web. Here we asked whether repeated Bti application over four consecutive vegetative periods cause similar impacts over these years (i.e., 2020–2023). We used floodplain pond mesocosms and measured insect emergence from control and Bti-treated ponds between April and August in each year. We found significant effects on insect emergence dynamics and community composition only during the first year. This effect disappeared over the three following years. Our observations suggest a shift in community composition, for example, by replacing more Bti-sensitive (i.e., Chironomidae) with more tolerant insect species – a hypothesis that is partially supported by changes in the wider community of emergent aquatic insects during the study. Alternatively, a reduced Bti activity could explain this pattern: The activity could be affected by changes in environmental factors such as the accumulation of organic carbon and fine sediment. All in all, our data point to a higher annual variability in insect emergence dynamics and the community of emergent aquatic insects relative to the impacts caused by Bti. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-caa8cddfe9c54f29a74ec0ca338d9a36 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-caa8cddfe9c54f29a74ec0ca338d9a362025-08-20T02:30:15ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-05-0129611820810.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118208Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm studyAgnes Schöndorfer0Sara Kolbenschlag1Peer Bauspiess2Jens Schirmel3Eric Bollinger4Alessandro Manfrin5Mirco Bundschuh6iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, GermanyiES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, GermanyiES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, Germany; Eusserthal Ecosystem Research Station (EERES), University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, GermanyiES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, Germany; Eusserthal Ecosystem Research Station (EERES), University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, GermanyiES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, GermanyiES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, GermanyiES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU), Landau, Germany; Corresponding author.Aquatic biomass and essential nutrients can subsidize terrestrial food webs. However, stressors in the aquatic ecosystem, such as the non-chemical mosquito control agent Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), may affect such subsidies by changing the dynamics and diversity of emergent aquatic insects. Such changes in emergence phenology may influence riparian predators with consequences for the terrestrial food web. Here we asked whether repeated Bti application over four consecutive vegetative periods cause similar impacts over these years (i.e., 2020–2023). We used floodplain pond mesocosms and measured insect emergence from control and Bti-treated ponds between April and August in each year. We found significant effects on insect emergence dynamics and community composition only during the first year. This effect disappeared over the three following years. Our observations suggest a shift in community composition, for example, by replacing more Bti-sensitive (i.e., Chironomidae) with more tolerant insect species – a hypothesis that is partially supported by changes in the wider community of emergent aquatic insects during the study. Alternatively, a reduced Bti activity could explain this pattern: The activity could be affected by changes in environmental factors such as the accumulation of organic carbon and fine sediment. All in all, our data point to a higher annual variability in insect emergence dynamics and the community of emergent aquatic insects relative to the impacts caused by Bti.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005445BiocideBacillus thuringiensis israelensisFloodplainInsect community compositionFood webAquatic-terrestrial linkage |
| spellingShingle | Agnes Schöndorfer Sara Kolbenschlag Peer Bauspiess Jens Schirmel Eric Bollinger Alessandro Manfrin Mirco Bundschuh Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Biocide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis Floodplain Insect community composition Food web Aquatic-terrestrial linkage |
| title | Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study |
| title_full | Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study |
| title_fullStr | Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study |
| title_short | Long-term consequences of Bti applications on aquatic insect emergence: Insights from a 4-year mesocosm study |
| title_sort | long term consequences of bti applications on aquatic insect emergence insights from a 4 year mesocosm study |
| topic | Biocide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis Floodplain Insect community composition Food web Aquatic-terrestrial linkage |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325005445 |
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