MULTICLIM: Effects of climate change in a multiple stress multispecies perspective (completed)

• Kristiansen, Silje Marie; Leinaas, Hans Petter; Gestel, Cornelis A.M. van & Borgå, Katrine (2024). Thermal adaptation affects the temperature-dependent toxicity of the insecticide imidacloprid to soil invertebrates. Science of the Total Environment. ISSN 0048-9697. 944. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173845. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Terrestrial ectotherms are vulnerable to climate change since their biological rates depend on the ambient temperature. As temperature may interact with toxicant exposure, climate change may cause unpredictable responses to toxic stress. A population's thermal adaptation will impact its response to temperature change, but also to interactive effects from temperature and toxicants, but these effects are still not fully understood. Here, we assessed the combined effects of exposure to the insecticide imidacloprid across the temperatures 10–25 °C of two populations of the Collembola Hypogastrura viatica (Tullberg, 1872), by determining their responses in multiple life history traits. The con-specific populations differ considerably in thermal adaptations; one (arctic) is a temperature generalist, while the other (temperate) is a warm-adapted specialist. For both populations, the sub-lethal concentrations of imidacloprid became lethal with increasing temperature. Although the thermal maximum is higher for the warm-adapted population, the reduction in survival was stronger. Growth was reduced by imidacloprid in a temperature-dependent manner, but only at the adult life stage. The decrease in adult body size combined with the absence of an effect on the age at first reproduction suggests a selection on the timing of maturation. Egg production was reduced by imidacloprid in both populations, but the negative effect was only dependent on temperature in the warm-adapted population, with no effect at 10 °C, and decreases of 41 % at 15 °C, and 74 % at 20 °C. For several key traits, the population best adapted to utilize high temperatures was also the most sensitive to toxic stress at higher temperatures. It could be that by allocating more energy to faster growth, development, and reproduction at higher temperatures, the population had less energy for maintenance, making it more sensitive to toxic stress. Our findings demonstrate the need to take into account a population's thermal adaptation when assessing the interactive effects between temperature and other stressors.

• Silva, Andreia Sofia Jorge; Kristiansen, Silje Marie; Sengupta, Sagnik; Gestel, Cornelis A. M. van; Leinaas, Hans Petter & Borgå, Katrine (2023). Using dietary exposure to determine sub-lethal effects from imidacloprid in two springtail (Collembola) species. Ecotoxicology. ISSN 0963-9292. 32, p. 1209–1220. doi: 10.1007/s10646-023-02715-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Standard toxicity tests expose springtails (Collembola) through soil, while dietary exposure tests with animals visible on a surface are less commonly applied. We refined a method for dietary chemical exposure for two widely distributed and abundant Collembola species: Folsomia quadrioculata and Hypogastrura viatica as existing methods were sub-optimal. Newly hatched Collembola were offered bark with a natural layer of Cyanobacteria that was either moistened with a solution of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid using a micropipette or soaked in the solution overnight. The first method was superior in producing a measured concentration close to the nominal (0.21 and 0.13 mg/kg dry bark, respectively), and resulting in sub-lethal effects as expected. The adult body size was reduced by 8% for both species, but egg production only in H. viatica . Contrastingly, soaked bark resulted in a measured concentration of 8 mg/kg dry bark, causing high mortality and no egg production in either species. Next, we identified the sub-lethal concentration-range by moistening the bark to expose H. viatica to 0, 0.01, 0.04, 0.13, 0.43 and 1.2 mg imidacloprid/kg dry bark. Only the highest concentration affected survival, causing a mortality of 77%. Imidacloprid reduced moulting rate and the body size at first reproduction. The age at first reproduction appeared delayed as some replicates did not reproduce within the experiment duration. The method of moistened bark for dietary exposure proved optimal to continuously study life history traits, such as growth and reproductive outcomes, which are important to understand effects on key events crucial for population viability and growth.

• Sengupta, Sagnik; Leinaas, Hans Petter; Gestel, Cornelis A.M. van; Jager, Tjalling; Rundberget, Thomas & Borgå, Katrine (2023). High sensitivity to dietary imidacloprid exposure in early life stages of Folsomia quadrioculata (Collembola) populations from contrasting climates. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. Applied Soil Ecology. ISSN 0929-1393. 187. doi: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.104880. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Survival of early life stages is critical for population growth. Understanding the vulnerability of these sensitive stages can therefore improve ecological risk predictions. The globally-used neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid does not degrade easily in soil and occurs at concentrations potentially toxic to non-target soil organisms, such as Collembola. Here, we studied the effects of dietary exposure to imidacloprid on the survival of juveniles in an arctic and a temperate population of Folsomia quadrioculata (Collembola), a commonly-occurring litter-dwelling species in the Northern Hemisphere. The exposure lasted from <24 h to 30 days since hatching at 15 °C. We assessed whether (1) the arctic population of the test species with faster development rates could be more vulnerable than the temperate population, (2) cumulative mortality could increase substantially with exposure time, and (3) the mortality risk experienced during the juvenile stage could be greater than that experienced by the adults. We found a strong concentration-dependent decline in survival in both populations, with small but significantly different LC50s, despite large differences in multiple life-history traits. Applying a General Unified Threshold model for Survival (GUTS) showed a low threshold for effects, slow damage dynamics, a 6–11-fold decrease in LC50 from 14 to 30 days of exposure, and saturation of damage at the three highest concentrations. In addition, exposure starting soon after hatching caused much more mortality than that starting in the adult stages. Our findings suggest that toxicity tests not emphasizing the neonate stages or not lasting long enough can underestimate the implications for populations of naturally abundant non-target organisms.

• Konestabo, Heidi Sjursen; Birkemoe, Tone; Leinaas, Hans Petter; Gestel, Cornelis A.M. van; Sengupta, Sagnik & Borgå, Katrine (2022). Pesticide effects on the abundance of springtails and mites in field mesocosms at an agricultural site. Ecotoxicology. ISSN 0963-9292. 31(9), p. 1450–1461. doi: 10.1007/s10646-022-02599-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract The use of pesticides to protect crops often affects non-target organisms vital to ecosystem functioning. A functional soil mesofauna is important for decomposition and nutrient cycling processes in agricultural soils, which generally have low biodiversity. To assess pesticide effects on natural soil communities we enclosed intact soil cores in situ in an agricultural field in 5 cm wide mesocosms. We used two types of mesh lids on the mesocosms, allowing or preventing migration of mesofauna. The mesocosms were exposed to the insecticide imidacloprid (0, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg dry soil) and left in the field for 20 days. Overall, regardless of lid type, mesocosm enclosure did not affect springtail or mite abundances during the experiment when compared with undisturbed soil. Imidacloprid exposure reduced the abundance of both surface- and soil-living springtails in a concentration-dependent manner, by 65–90% at the two highest concentrations, and 21–23% at 0.1 mg/kg, a concentration found in some agricultural soils after pesticide application. Surface-living springtails were more affected by imidacloprid exposure than soil-living ones. In contrast, neither predatory nor saprotrophic mites showed imidacloprid-dependent changes in abundance, concurring with previous findings indicating that mites are generally less sensitive to neonicotinoids than other soil organisms. The possibility to migrate did not affect the springtail or mite abundance responses to imidacloprid. We show that under realistic exposure concentrations in the field, soil arthropod community composition and abundance can be substantially altered in an organism-dependent manner, thus affecting the soil community diversity.

• Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik; Convey, P.; Newsham, Kevin K.; Mosbacher, Jesper Bruun; Fuglei, Eva & Ravolainen, Virve [Show all 47 contributors for this article] (2022). Five decades of terrestrial and freshwater research at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Polar Research. ISSN 0800-0395. 41. doi: 10.33265/polar.v41.6310. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  For more than five decades, research has been conducted at Ny-Ålesund, in Svalbard, Norway, to understand the structure and functioning of High-Arctic ecosystems and the profound impacts on them of environmental change. Terrestrial, freshwater, glacial and marine ecosystems are accessible year-round from Ny-Ålesund, providing unique opportunities for interdisciplinary observational and experimental studies along physical, chemical, hydrological and climatic gradients. Here, we synthesize terrestrial and freshwater research at Ny-Ålesund and review current knowledge of biodiversity patterns, species population dynamics and interactions, ecosystem processes, biogeochemical cycles and anthropogenic impacts. There is now strong evidence of past and ongoing biotic changes caused by climate change, including negative effects on populations of many taxa and impacts of rain-on-snow events across multiple trophic levels. While species-level characteristics and responses are well understood for macro-organisms, major knowledge gaps exist for microbes, invertebrates and ecosystem-level processes. In order to fill current knowledge gaps, we recommend (1) maintaining monitoring efforts, while establishing a long-term ecosystem-based monitoring programme; (2) gaining a mechanistic understanding of environmental change impacts on processes and linkages in food webs; (3) identifying trophic interactions and cascades across ecosystems; and (4) integrating long-term data on microbial, invertebrate and freshwater communities, along with measurements of carbon and nutrient fluxes among soils, atmosphere, freshwaters and the marine environment. The synthesis here shows that the Ny-Ålesund study system has the characteristics needed to fill these gaps in knowledge, thereby enhancing our understanding of High-Arctic ecosystems and their responses to environmental variability and change.

• Kristiansen, Silje Marie; Borgå, Katrine; Rundberget, Jan Thomas & Leinaas, Hans Petter (2021). Effects on Life-History Traits of Hypogastrura viatica (Collembola) Exposed to Imidacloprid Through Soil or Diet. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. ISSN 0730-7268. 40(11), p. 3111–3122. doi: 10.1002/etc.5187. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Collembola (springtails) are important members of soil communities worldwide by contributing to degradation of organic matter. In nature, Collembola might be exposed to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, which is fairly persistent in soil. We exposed the widespread Hypogastrura viatica to imidacloprid through soil or food and monitored the animals during exposure and a post exposure period. We recorded effects on life-history traits affecting individual fitness, that is, mortality, behavioral activity, several reproduction traits, and molting frequency. Exposure through soil led to a concentration-dependent mortality, while the mortality from dietary exposure possibly reflected reduced feeding activity. The body burden of imidacloprid in the Collembola did not differ between treatments. We found no sign of recovery in behavioral activity following exposure in either experiment. The egg production of H. viatica was not significantly affected by imidacloprid at 0.01 mg/kg dry soil but showed a tendency to reduce number of eggs per batch and reduced hatching success. At higher concentrations, reproduction was close to, or completely, stopped. The molting frequency decreased during exposure, while in the post exposure period, we saw milder effects at the highest concentrations, suggesting elimination through molting or reduced toxic response as a result of reduced feeding activity. Overall, H. viatica was more sensitive to imidacloprid than previously studied Collembola, which highlights the importance of considering species sensitivities when risk-assessing soil environments.

• Sengupta, Sagnik; Leinaas, Hans Petter; Gestel, Cornelis A.M. van; Rundberget, Jan Thomas & Borgå, Katrine (2020). A Multiple Life‐History Trait–Based and Time‐Resolved Assessment of Imidacloprid Effects and Recovery in the Widely Distributed Collembolan Folsomia quadrioculata. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. ISSN 0730-7268. 40(1), p. 139–147. doi: 10.1002/etc.4897. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Life history traits determine individual fitness and the fate of populations. Imidacloprid, a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, which persists in soil for more than 100 d at biologically relevant levels, may affect non‐target and ecologically important species, such as collembolans. In the present study, we determined the sublethal effects of short‐term imidacloprid exposure and post‐exposure recovery in the collembolan Folsomia quadrioculata, which occurs abundantly across the northern hemisphere. We assessed survival, egg production, and hatching success in adult springtails exposed for 14 d through the diet to imidacloprid followed by a 28 d post‐exposure phase. Survival and hatching success were high throughout the experiment in all the treatments, with no clear concentration dependency. However, egg production declined during the exposure phase and nearly stopped between 8 and 14 d in all the treatments (except the control), but resumed during the post‐exposure phase. Moreover, the resumption of egg production showed a concentration‐dependent delay. Our findings suggest that low imidacloprid exposures can restrict reproduction, with potentially severe consequences for the population, notwithstanding the partial recovery in egg production.

• Borgå, Katrine (2019). The Arctic ecosystem: A canary in the coal mine for global multiple stressors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. ISSN 0730-7268. 38(3), p. 487–488. doi: 10.1002/etc.4360. Full text in Research Archive

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