Abstract
The use of agrochemicals in agriculture may impact aquatic ecosystems, particularly influencing the stream insect communities. Among aquatic insects, the family Chironomidae is the most abundant and species-diverse insect group found in freshwater ecosystems. However, in the southern hemisphere, studies with Chironomidae are still sparse, compared to Europe and North America. The present study evaluates the responses of Chironomidae species (Insecta: Diptera) to pyrimethanil fungicide in a mesocosm experiment. Water contamination and chironomid community were monitored over 10 months. After five months of monitoring, the pyrimethanil fungicide was completely degraded and there was a statistically significant increase in the Margalef Richness and Shannon-Wiener Index (H') in the control units when compared with the contaminated mesocosms (p = 0.003). Our results point out that the utilization of agrochemicals can be a harmful factor influencing negatively the Chironomidae populations. This finding has key implications for insect conservation strategies and ecological management environments.
Highlights
Agrochemicals pollution from farming exerts a toxic impact in the soil in the adjacent areas and on freshwater macroinvertebrates, frequently causing loss of sensitive insect orders such as Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera (Karouna-Renier & Sparling 2001, Crisci-Bispo et al 2007, Corbi et al 2013)
Species richness is influenced by these anthropogenic disturbances, which may lead to losses of taxa and cause spatial discontinuities in expected gradients (Bojsen & Jacobsen 2003, Okano et al 2017)
The present study hypothesizes that the application of the fungicide pyrimethanil in agricultural areas, causes changes in the Chironomidae community structure of adjacent aquatic environment
Summary
Agrochemicals pollution from farming exerts a toxic impact in the soil in the adjacent areas and on freshwater macroinvertebrates, frequently causing loss of sensitive insect orders such as Plecoptera (stoneflies), Ephemeroptera (mayflies) and Trichoptera (caddisflies) (Karouna-Renier & Sparling 2001, Crisci-Bispo et al 2007, Corbi et al 2013). Numerous freshwater biomonitoring plans use the macroinvertebrate community, aquatic insects, as indicators of pollution, habitat modification, and water quality (Rosenberg 1992, Cranston 1995, Roque et al 2000, Roy et al 2003, Bonada et al 2006, Carter et al 2006, Hauer & Resh 2006, Corbi & Trivinho-Strixino 2008, 2017, Ferrington 2008, Corbi et al 2011, Molozzi et al 2012, Nicacio & Juen 2015, Vanacker et al 2018, Dodds & Whiles 2020). In most freshwater benthic communities, the Chironomidae is the most abundant and diverse insect group in freshwater systems (Rosenberg 1992, Cranston 1995, Roque et al 2010, Corbi & Trivinho-Strixino 2017).
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