about SPEAR

Development

History -  SPEAR was developed as a pesticide-specific indicator within a research project financed by the Federal Environment Agency (1). The pesticide specific indicator (SPEARpesticides) was further developed based on a data-set of streams in central Germany for which measured maximum peak exposure to pesticides (insecticide toxicity) and invertebrate monitoring was available (2).


Validation - The concept was validated in France and Finland (3).


Large scale Extrapolation - We extrapolated exposure and effect to the European level (4).


SPEARFamily

  • SPEARpesticides - indicates pulsed exposure of pesticides (proportion related to toxicity of D.magna). Traits involved are (i) physiological sensitivity to organic toxicants, (ii) generation time, (iii) presence of aquatic life stages during exposure, (iv) recovery potential. (5), (6)
  • SPEARorganic - Indicates continuous exposure to organic toxicants. Trait involved is physiological sensitivity to organic toxicants. (7)
  • SPEARsalinity - Indicates continuous exposure to salinity. Trait involved is physiological sensitivity to salinity.

  1. (1) Liess M, Schulz R, Berenzen N, Nanko-Drees J, Wogam J, 2001. Pflanzenschutzmittel-Belastung und Lebensgemeinschaften in Flieflgewassern mit landwirtschaftlich genutztem Umland. UBA Texte 65. Berlin, Umweltbundesamt: 227.   → Request PDF
  2. (2) Liess M, von der Ohe PC 2005. Analyzing effects of pesticides on invertebrate communities in streams. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 24, (4): 954-965.   → Request PDF
  3. (3) Schäfer R, Caquet T, Siimes K, Mueller, R, Lagadic L, Liess M. 2007. Effects of pesticides on community structure and ecosystem functions in agricultural headwater streams of three biogeographical regions in Europe. Science of the Total Environment. 382, 2-3, 272-285.   → Request PDF
  4. (4) Schriever C, Liess M. 2007. Mapping ecological risk of agricultural pesticide runoff in Europe. Science of the Total Environment. 384, 264-279.   → Request PDF
  5. (5) Liess M, Schäfer R, Schriever C, 2008. The footprint of pesticide stress in communities - species traits reveal community effects of toxicants. Science of the Total Environment, 406, 484-490.   → Request PDF
  6. (6) Beketov M, Foit K, Schäfer R, Schriever C, Sacchi A, Capri E, Biggs J, Wells C, Liess M, 2009. SPEAR indicates pesticide effects in streams - comparative use of species- and family-level biomonitoring data. Environmental Pollution, 157, 1841-1848.   → Request PDF
  7. (7) Beketov MA, Liess M, 2008. An indicator for effects of organic toxicants on lotic invertebrate communities: independence of confounding environmental factors over an extensive river continuum. Environmental Pollution, 156, 980-987.   → Request PDF