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Replication, effect sizes and identifying the biological impacts of pesticides on bees under field conditions

På svenska

Author

  • Ben A. Woodcock
  • Matthew S. Heard
  • Mark S. Jitlal
  • Maj Rundlöf
  • James M. Bullock
  • Richard F. Shore
  • Richard F. Pywell

Summary, in English

Honeybees have world-wide importance as crop pollinators. To ensure their persistence in agricultural systems, statistically robust field trials of plant protection products are vital. We consider the implications of regulations from the European Food Safety Authority that require the detection of a 7% effect size change in bee colony sizes under field conditions. Based on a power analysis, we argue that the necessary levels of replication (68 replicates) may pose practical constraints to field testing. Policy implications. Regulatory studies benefit from data sources collated over a range of spatial scales, from laboratory to landscapes. Basing effect size thresholds solely on expert judgement, as has been done, may be inappropriate. Rather, definition through experimental or simulation studies that assess the biological consequences of changes in colony size for bee populations is required. This has implications for regulatory bodies outside the European Union.

Publishing year

2016-10-01

Language

English

Pages

1358-1362

Publication/Series

Journal of Applied Ecology

Volume

53

Issue

5

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

Keywords

  • agriculture
  • bumblebees
  • experimental design
  • honeybees
  • neonicotinoids
  • pesticides
  • pollinators
  • regulatory risk assessment
  • statistical power testing

Status

Published

Project

  • DEveloping Landscape Ecotoxicology in Terrestrial Ecosystems (DELETE): Pesticide Exposure and Effects on Bees

Research group

  • Biodiversity and Conservation Science

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0021-8901