Fewer birds appear to live in Vermont today than 25 years ago, according to recent research by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. The most dramatic declines in bird populations were seen among those that live off flying insects, scientists say. Known as aerial insectivores, this diverse group of birds has declined 45 percent in Vermont, according to the study.
Regional Environment Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president Ramakrishnan Ramasamy said most rivers in the highland, known for its tourism and agriculture, are heavily polluted. He said data from the Department of Environment (DoE) and the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) showed that only about 10 per cent of 123 rivers were in Class I and Class II, while the remainder were in Class III and Class IV. He also said three rivers had been declared biologically dead, and came under Class V of the classification.
New monitoring in the Bay Delta shows that the water is a soup of urban and agricultural insecticides, herbicides and fungicides. When combined, pesticides at sublethal levels can have deadly synergistic effects on fish. “The Sacramento River and San Joaquin River have been monitored for years, but historically there has been little monitoring in the Delta itself,” says Michelle Hladik, an environmental chemist who leads the USGS Pesticide Fate Research Group.
Die Fledermäuse erwachen momentan aus dem Winterschlaf. Nachts gehen sie auf die Jagd, um ihre leeren Reserven aufzutanken. Doch sie finden kaum noch Futter. „Seit einiger Zeit beobachten wir einen alarmierenden Rückgang von Insekten“, sagt Karl Kugelschafter, Fledermausexperte vom Naturschutzbund (Nabu). Für die Fledermäuse geht es ums Überleben, denn sie ernähren sich fast ausschließlich von Insekten und müssen pro Tag ungefähr ein Drittel ihres Körpergewichtes an Nahrung zu sich nehmen. Hochgerechnet braucht ein einzelnes Tier also ungefähr ein Kilogramm Insekten in einem Sommer.
Die stille Harmonie der gelb-schwarzen Insekten gibt es nur noch in alten Kinderliedern. Tatsächlich kämpfen nicht nur die deutschen, sondern auch die europäischen Bienen ums Überleben. Als im Vormonat der Imkerverband zur Jahrestagung nach Berlin lud, machten erschreckende Zahlen die Runde: Von den etwa 700.000 Bienenvölkern, die der Verband hierzulande bisher zählte, haben rund 120.000 den Winter nicht überlebt. Auch wenn daran eingeschleppte Parasiten wie die Varroa-Milbe nicht ganz unbeteiligt ist, geben viele Fachleute Pestiziden eine erhebliche Mitschuld.
Urban populations of 28 butterfly species have fallen 69 percent across the UK since 1995, while in America monarch butterflies are down 80 percent since the mid-1990s and 27 percent since this time last year. The decline is worrying, say scientists, because butterflies are recognized as environmental indicators due to their rapid responses to small changes in climate and habitat.
Neonicotinoid insecticides are widespread in surface waters across the agriculturally intensive Midwestern United States. We report for the first time the presence of three neonicotinoids in finished drinking water and demonstrate their general persistence during conventional water treatment. Periodic tap water grab samples were collected at the University of Iowa over 7 weeks in 2016 (May−July) after maize/soy planting. Clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam were ubiquitously detected in finished water samples at concentrations ranging from 0.24 to 57.3 ng/L.
One of the most dangerous pesticides, neonicotinoids, has been found in drinking water, a new study reveals. Neonicotinoids, most of which were released in the 1990s, were designed to be the most environmentally-friendly chemicals on the market and soon became the most widely used, especially in the Midwest. The compounds don't just coat leaves and stems but work their way into plant tissue, meaning fewer sprays are needed. But the neonics, as they are nicknamed, became reputable for being something else - a bee killer, wreaking havoc on insect nervous systems.
Umweltorganisationen haben vom Bundesrat angesichts der alarmierenden Resultate der Gewässeruntersuchungen einen wirkungsvollen Pestizidreduktionsplan gefordert. Denn über die Nahrungsmittelkette sei auch der Mensch vom giftigen Pestizidcocktail betroffen. Pro Natura spricht von alarmierenden Zuständen. Der Unmut in der Bevölkerung über den Pestizidmix in den Bächen sei gross, schreibt die Naturschutzorganisation in einer Mitteilung vom Dienstag. Dies zeigten auch zwei kürzlich lancierte Volksinitiativen für sauberes Trinkwasser und gegen synthetische Pestizide.
Small watercourses are contaminated with large numbers of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. A study commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment and published today shows that the legal requirements specified for water quality are not met in any of the five Swiss streams investigated. Indeed, thresholds for acute toxicity to aquatic organisms were also exceeded. Bioassays indicate that biological communities are adversely affected by mixtures of substances.