Other insects

Data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of the Pesticide National Synthesis Project, show that use of neonicotinoids in agriculture rose from about 150 metric tons (all imidacloprid) in the late 1990s and early 2000s to between 510 and 625 tons in 2004. From 2004 to 2007, these figures nearly doubled, and in 2012, according to USGS data, between 2,677 and 2,819 tons were used. Data for 2013 and 2014 are still preliminary but suggest the numbers have continued to rise.

Vermont is famous for its natural and mesmerizing landscape that includes a big forest. Unfortunately, a recent report has revealed the decrement of the bird population there. ABC News reported a sharp decline of 14.2 percent in the bird population over the last 25 years in the Vermont forest. The latest study has unveiled this crucial fact. Several rare and common bird species exist in the said forest. Among them, some species solely depend on the flying insects and they form a major portion of the bird population.

Der Gartenrotschwanz (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) war noch vor hundert Jahren in der Schweiz weit verbreitet. Doch heute begegnet man dem Singvogel mit dem orangen Schwanz kaum mehr. Dass dieses Gezwitscher selten geworden ist, hat einen guten Grund: Gartenrotschwänze ernähren sich von allerlei Kleingetier, das auf dem Boden und auf Gräsern herumkrabbelt. Von einer Sitzwarte aus, einem Baumstrunk zum Beispiel, suchen die Vögel den Boden ab: nach Käfern, Ameisen, Raupen und Spinnen. Doch haben Düngemittel und Pestizide vielen dieser Bodenkrabbeltiere den Garaus gemacht.

The River Irwell appears to have been polluted for a second time in three weeks. Countless fish and insects died following reports a pesticide which was poured down a drain and devastated a 25-mile stretch of the river from Rawtenstall into Manchester city centre earlier this month. Now a second incident has been reported on a section of the Irwell north of Bury. The incident has been reported to the Environment Agency. Mike Duddy, chief executive of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, said virtually no river life had survived the previous incident.

Nach Angaben des Umweltamtes des Landkreises Göttingen sind in den vergangenen 30 Jahren folgende Arten ausgestorben: Steinkauz (Athene noctua), Grauammer (Emberiza calandra, Syn.: Miliaria calandra), Uferschwalbe (Riparia riparia), Kreuzotter (Vipera berus), Europäischer Flusskrebs (Astacus astacus), Goldener Scheckenfalter (Euphydryas aurinia, Syn.: Eurodryas aurinia), Schwarzfleckiger Ameisenbläuling (Phengaris arion).

A 15-mile stretch of the River Irwell has been poisoned after a suspected pollution incident. Conservation experts say all invertebrates along the waterway from Rossendale to Radcliffe, via Bury, have been 'wiped out', possibly by the dumping of a harmful pesticide. The vast majority of the bugs have also been wiped out from Radcliffe to Manchester city centre. An investigation has been launched by the Environment Agency after the incident was reported to the watchdog by the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, which monitors the Irwell.

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.

Current admission policies for pesticides follow a controlled experimental tiered risk assessment approach, giving results that are difficult to extrapolate to a real-world situation. Later analyses of compounds such as DDT and neonicotinoid pesticides clearly show that the actual chemical impacts frequently affect many more components of an ecosystem than a priori suggested by risk assessment. Therefore, to manage the actual risks for ecosystems imposed by manufactured compounds, it is proposed that current admission policies for chemicals be enriched by using postregistration monitoring.

Der Spatz, oder Haussperling (Passer domesticus), wie die Art korrekt heißt, ist ein Kulturfolger. Vor einigen Jahrtausenden hat der Spatz festgestellt, wie gut er es in der Nähe von Menschen hat. Dass dort immer ein paar Krumen abfallen, die er wegschnappen kann, dass in den Hütten immer irgendwo eine Ritze frei ist, in der er seine Eier ausbrüten kann. "Es war super für den Spatz, bei uns zu leben", sagt die Spatzen-Expertin beim Landesbund für Vogelschutz (LBV), Lorena Heilmaier. Also hat er sich den Menschen an die Fersen geheftet und folgte ihnen bis in die Städte.