Lecture 11

A set of flashcards designed to help understand key concepts related to insecticides, their effects on pests and pollinators, and their broader ecological implications.

Pesticide risk

The potential harm caused by pesticides measured as Toxicity * Exposure.

Pest

A plant or animal detrimental to humans or their concerns, including crops, livestock, and forestry.

Biomagnification

The process by which substances, such as pesticides, become more concentrated in organisms at higher levels of the food chain.

Neonicotinoids

A class of neuroactive insecticides modeled after nicotine, widely used in agriculture.

Systemic insecticides

Insecticides that are absorbed by plants and spread throughout their tissues.

Contact insecticides

Insecticides that kill pests upon contact, as opposed to those that act systemically.

Organophosphates

A class of chemicals used as insecticides that can have neurotoxic effects.

Carbamates

A group of insecticides that inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, causing toxic effects.

LD50

Lethal dose for 50% of a population; a measure of acute toxicity.

Acute lethal effects

Immediate harmful effects resulting in death shortly after exposure to a toxin.

Chronic lethal effects

Long-term harmful effects resulting from continued exposure to a toxic substance.

Sub-lethal effects

Effects that do not cause immediate death but impair an organism’s performance.

Ddt

Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, a synthetic pesticide discovered to have harmful environmental impacts.

Rachel Carson

An environmentalist whose book 'Silent Spring' raised public awareness of the dangers of pesticides.

Honey bees

Social insects essential for pollination that are significantly affected by pesticide exposure.

Bumble bees

Solitary or social bees under threat from pesticides, affecting their populations and reproduction.

Solitary bees

Bees that do not live in colonies and are also adversely impacted by pesticide use.

Resistance

The ability of pests to survive exposure to pesticides that once effectively controlled them.

Pest outbreaks

Rapid increases in pest populations that can lead to significant crop damage.

Eagle populations

Bird species that faced declines due to pesticide-related biomagnification, later rebounded.

Insect growth regulators

Compounds that disrupt normal insect development processes, used as pesticides.

Acelepryn

A newer class of insecticide known as Anthranilic Diamide.

Pesticide use increase

The growing dependence on chemicals for pest control in agriculture.

Environmental issues with insecticides

Concerns about the negative impacts of insecticides on ecosystems and non-target species.

Pollinator populations

Groups of species, including bees, that are declining due to pesticide exposure.

Floral resources

The availability of flowering plants that provide food for pollinators.

Fungicides

Chemical compounds used to kill or inhibit the growth of fungi that can also affect bee health.

Pyrethroids

Synthetic insecticides modeled after pyrethrins, natural insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers.

Endangered Species Act

A U.S. law aimed at protecting species that are at risk of extinction.

Species At Risk Act

A Canadian law for the protection of species at risk of extinction.

Colony growth

The increase in the size and productivity of a bee colony, affected by environmental factors.

Cover crops

Plants grown to protect and enrich the soil in agricultural fields.

Insecticides interactions

How different pesticides and environmental stressors affect bee health and populations.

Ecosystem contamination

Pollution of water or land by chemicals like neonicotinoids through runoff or groundwater.

Neonic mixture effects

The combined impact of multiple neonicotinoids in ecosystems, often leading to adverse outcomes.

Mayfly emergence

The process by which mayflies come out of the water, disrupted by neonicotinoid presence.

Taxa richness loss

Declines in the number of different species in an environment due to chemical exposure.

Coastal California streams

Water bodies where studies showed high detection of neonicotinoids and their effects.

Ecological consequences

The broader environmental impacts resulting from chemical use in agricultural practices.

Pesticide risk assessment

Evaluation of the potential dangers posed by pesticide use to non-target organisms.

Wildlife conservation

Efforts aimed at protecting biodiversity and species that are threatened in the wild.

Sustainable pest management

Approaches that balance pest control with environmental protection, reducing pesticide use.

Honeybee navigation problems

Disruption in honeybee orientation and foraging due to sub-lethal pesticide effects.

Education on pesticide use

Raising awareness regarding the impacts of pesticide application on ecosystems and health.

Pesticide regulations

Laws and guidelines governing the use of chemicals in agriculture to protect health and environment.

Integrated pest management

A sustainable approach to controlling pests using a combination of techniques.

Natural enemies

Predators, parasites, or pathogens that help control pest populations.