Effects of azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil and ethoprophos on the reproduction of three terrestrial invertebrates using a Mediterranean soil

The potential terrestrial toxicity of three pesticides, azoxystrobin, chlorothalonil, and ethoprophos was evaluated using reproduction ecotoxicological tests with different non-target species: the collembolan Folsomia candida, the earthworm Eisenia andrei, and the enchytraeid Enchytraeus crypticus. All reproduction tests were performed with natural soil from a Mediterranean agricultural area (with no pesticide residues) in order to improve the relevance of laboratory data to field conditions. Controls were performed with natural and standard artificial soil (OECD 10% OM). The fungicide azoxystrobin showed the highest toxicity to earthworms (EC50 = 42.0 mg a.i. kg−1 dw soil). Collembolans were the most sensitive taxa in terms of sublethal effects of chlorothalonil with an EC50 of 31.1 mg a.i. kg−1 dw soil followed by the earthworms with an EC50 of 40.9 mg a.i. kg−1 dw soil. The insecticide ethoprophos was the most toxic to collembolans affecting their reproduction with an EC50 of 0.027 mg a.i. kg−1 dw soil. Enchytraeids were generally the least sensitive of the three species tested for long-term effects. Earthworms were not always the most sensitive species, emphasizing the need to increase the number of mandatory assays with key non-target organisms in the environmental risk assessment of pesticidesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does the invasion of the exotic tree Ailanthus altissima affect the soil arthropod community? The case of a riparian forest of the Henares River (Madrid)

Invasive species are a major threat to global biodiversity because they alter the functioning of affected ecosystems by displacing the native vegetation and fauna. This study evaluated the effect of the invasive species Ailanthus altissima on soil properties and the microarthropod community, compared to the native species Populus nigra. Soil samples were taken in riparian forests, an ecosystem with high risk of colonisation by invasive tree species, on a stretch of the Henares River (Madrid, Spain) under the canopy of both tree species. In addition, controlled laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of litter on the arthropod community. Some groups of springtails (Entomobryomorpha, Poduromorpha and Symphypleona), mites (Gamasida and some Oribatida) and other arthropods groups (spiders, pseudoscorpionids, isopods and insects) were more abundant under the native species, while Actinedida mites were more abundant under ailanthus. Differences in porosity, pH and organic matter content were also observed between soils. In the laboratory experiments, the Arthropleona springtails and a few Oribatida mites preferred poplar leaf extract, and the Actinedida mites preferred ailanthus leaves. The invasion of A. altissima could be influencing soil fauna through their litter and also could be changing several soil properties which consequently affect soil microarthropod communities. This study reveals the clear disturbance of ecosystems that the invasion by exotic species produces at many levels of the soil system