NERC funded CASE PhD in the Environment Department at
the University of York
Title: Exposure risk and effects of neonicotinoid
insecticides to farmland birds.
More intensive arable and animal farming require ever
increasing amounts of pesticides to maintain productivity. The sustainable use
of pesticides is vital if we are to maintain ecosystem services (e.g. clean
water, biodiversity, recreational and spiritual benefits from charismatic
wildlife). Evidence is accumulating that the widespread prophylactic usage of
NN insecticides is having a variety of unexpected impacts on non-target
organisms and ecosystem services. Neonicotinoids (NNs), the world’s most widely
used insecticides are believed to harm bees and other pollinating insects. This
has led to a two-year EU suspension on three NN products began at the end of
2013. However, NNs are still used as a seed dressing for crops such as cereals
and beet.
Recent research has suggested a link between the use
of NNs and declines in numbers of farmland birds. However, the research only
looks at associations at a large spatial scale with no evidence for the mechanisms
involved. Direct toxic effects on birds are possible i.e. consumption of feeds
coated with NNs and/or consumption of plants or insects that have taken up NNs.
This might result in death or reduced reproduction but also non-lethal effects
such as changes in health foraging behavior that will affect fitness. This
project will integrate field, lab and aviary studies to determine whether NNs
can move through the food chain exposing birds to lethal or sublethal
concentrations. In addition, the student will experimentally manipulate
exposure to NNs to determine whether NNs cause changes in the behaviour,
physiology or health of birds.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
are CASE partners for this studentship, as it links in with their long-term
ambition to reverse farmland bird declines population declines. The RSPB
will provide field support and student supervision for this project. This
project will suit a student wishing to work in applied ecology and
conservation. Experience in fieldwork, particularly with birds will be an
advantage.
This project is part of the NERC Doctoral Training
Partnership in Adapting to the Challenges of a Changing Environment (ACCE) and
will be supervised by Dr Kathryn Arnold (York), Professor Richard Shore (CEH),
Professor Colin Brown (York) & Dr Will Peach (RSPB).
The project will start Oct 2015 and is competitively
funded. UK/EU students only.
For further information and to discuss your
suitability for this project please email: Kathryn.Arnold@york.ac.uk
--
Dr Kathryn Arnold,
Lecturer,
Environment Dept,
University of York,
York YO10 5DD, UK
Tel: (44) 01904 322997
Twitter: @KateArnold14