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The Influence of Study Species Selection on Estimates of Pesticide Exposure in Free-Ranging Birds

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Abstract

Field studies of pesticide effects on birds often utilize indicator species with the purpose of extrapolating to other avian taxa. Little guidance exists for choosing indicator species to monitor the presence and/or effects of contaminants that are labile in the environment or body, but are acutely toxic, such as anticholinesterase (anti-ChE) insecticides. Use of an indicator species that does not represent maximum exposure and/or effects could lead to inaccurate risk estimates. Our objective was to test the relevance of a priori selection of indicator species for a study on pesticide exposure to birds inhabiting fruit orchards. We used total plasma ChE activity and ChE reactivation to describe the variability in anti-ChE pesticide exposure among avian species in two conventionally managed fruit orchards. Of seven species included in statistical analyses, the less common species, chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina), showed the greatest percentage of exposed individuals and the greatest ChE depression, whereas the two most common species, American robins (Turdus migratorius) and gray catbirds (Dumatella carolinensis), did not show significant exposure. Due to their lower abundance, chipping sparrows would have been an unlikely choice for study. Our results show that selection of indicator species using traditionally accepted criteria such as abundance and ease of collection may not identify species that are at greatest risk. Our efforts also demonstrate the usefulness of conducting multiple-species pilot studies prior to initiating detailed studies on pesticide effects. A study such as ours can help focus research and resources on study species that are most appropriate.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank K. Bowser, K. Crawford, J. Davignon, W. Echard, G. Gentry, S. Gentry, M. Hamilton, S. Han, J. Healy, T. Johnson, M. Kohns, N. Martin, R. Nichols, W. Potter, S. Rush, J. Spann, S. Wagner, K. Waite, and M. Wilcox for assistance in the field, laboratory, or with other aspects of this project. We also thank M. Brown and H. Hogmire for providing guidance and access to the WVU and USDA orchards; D. Leach, D. Magaha, J. Hendricks, and the farm crews at the WVU and USDA orchards for aid in coordinating field work at the WVU and USDA sites, L. Kidwell for assistance at the Paw Paw site, and to C. Hill and P. Hott for allowing access to their land. Thanks also to M. Hooper for technical assistance with ChE analyses as well as data used in this project, and to N. Beyer, G. Heinz, and two anonymous reviewers for comments to improve the manuscript. This project was funded by Patuxent Wildlife Research Center with funds received through an Interagency Agreement (DW14937610-01-0) between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Geological Survey. Funding was also provided by the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, through their Committee on Grants-in-Aid of Research. The experiments associated with this research comply with the current laws of the US.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies or positions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the US. Any use of active ingredient, trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the US Government.

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  1. Shannon L. Borges

    Present address: Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 7511P, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20460, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MEES Graduate Program, University of Maryland, 1213 H.J. Patterson Hall, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Shannon L. Borges

  2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, BARC, East Building 308, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Nimish B. Vyas

  3. MCC Statistical Consulting, LLC, 2219 NW 23rd Terrace, Gainesville, FL, 32605, USA

    Mary C. Christman

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  1. Shannon L. Borges
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Correspondence to Shannon L. Borges.

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Borges, S.L., Vyas, N.B. & Christman, M.C. The Influence of Study Species Selection on Estimates of Pesticide Exposure in Free-Ranging Birds. Environmental Management 53, 416–428 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-013-0194-6

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