Pesticides seep into the soil and find their way into groundwater. Less fertile soils mean less plant growth, which, in turn, means farmers must use increased quantities of fertilizer for successful crop yields. This lack of organic matter also allows pesticides to continue to build up in the soil instead of breaking down the chemicals. Organic matter helps soil retain water, which can be extremely helpful to agricultural workers, particularly during droughts. Additionally, it removes a large percentage of organic matter. This means the soil has a lower quality overall and is less fertile. Perhaps the most detrimental of these effects is that pesticide causes biodiversity loss in soil. Once applied to crops, pesticides work their way into the soil, where it has devastating effects. Companies have begun developing pesticides with reduced side effects for non-target species as well. As a result of some of this research, both the United States and the European Union have stopped using organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, some of the most toxic of all pesticides. While research concerning the exact impact of pesticides on the environment is varied, it has increased over the last few decades. Additionally, storage, transportation, and production allow some quantities of pesticides to be introduced to the environment. As these chemicals travel to other areas, they affect a number of plant and animal species. This is because pesticides are applied over large tracts of land and carried away by wind and water runoff. Research has shown, for example, that over 95% of herbicides and over 98% of insecticides do not reach the targeted pest. What Is the Environmental Impact Of Pesticides?īecause pesticides are sprayed over large areas of land, they have a widespread impact on the environment. This article takes a closer look at the environmental impact of pesticide use. These include insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide (to name a few). Pesticides are known by various names, depending on their target. They are also commonly used to exterminate mosquitoes to prevent the spread of malaria, West Nile virus, and yellow fever. The agricultural industry relies heavily on the application of pesticides to protect crop yields from damage. doi: 10.1073/ are chemicals that deter and eliminate certain pest populations including insects, rodents, fungi, weeds, and other animals. Agricultural intensification and climate change are rapidly decreasing insect biodiversity. The canary in the coalmine bee declines as an indicator of environmental health. Mitigating the precipitous decline of terrestrial European insects: Requirements for a new strategy. Pesticides reduce regional biodiversity of stream invertebrates. Synthetic chemicals as agents of global change. The direct impacts of pesticides in the environment are therefore either amplified or compensated by their indirect effects.Īquatic insects competition ecological interactions fungicides herbicides insecticides parasiticides pests predation.īernhardt E.S., Rosi E.J., Gessner M.O. Residues of herbicides can reduce the biomass of macrophytes in ponds and wetlands, indirectly affecting the protection and breeding of predatory insects in that environment. Fungicides and systemic insecticides also reduce nutrient recycling by impairing the ability of detritivorous arthropods. Increases in periphyton biomass typically result in the replacement of arthropods with more tolerant species such as snails, worms and tadpoles. In aquatic ecosystems, insecticides and fungicides often induce algae blooms as the chemicals reduce grazing by zooplankton and benthic herbivores. The loss of floristic diversity and food resources that result from herbicide applications can reduce populations of pollinators and natural enemies of crop pests. Application of insecticides to agriculture often results in subsequent pest outbreaks due to the elimination of natural enemies. Typical mechanisms are the release of herbivores from predation and release from competition among species with similar niches. Such indirect effects are mediated through direct impacts on other species or the physical environment and depend on ecological mechanisms and species interactions. Pesticides released to the environment can indirectly affect target and non-target species in ways that are often contrary to their intended use.
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