A contribution to the identification of representative vulnerable fish species for pesticide risk assessment in Europe—A comparison of population resilience using matrix models

Abstract

The population vulnerability of a species to pesticides is determined by the risk of its exposure to the pollutant, its sensitivity to the toxicant and the potential to sustain its populations if adversely affected (population resilience). This study uses population modelling to link the life cycle traits of a set of fish species which are highly susceptible to pesticide exposure, to their population resilience as a contribution to the needed identification of representative vulnerable species for higher-tier ecological risk assessment (ERA) of pesticides in Europe. Leslie matrix models for 21 species were parametrized using data from literature on field populations whose resilience was assessed. Phoxinus phoxinus was identified as the species with the least resilient populations for effects on fertility, Lampetra planeri for effects on juvenile survival and Esox lucius for effects on adult survival. Combining the measured effects from standard fish bio-tests with population models of these species would result in an ecologically relevant and protective risk assessment for field conditions in Europe.