about SPEAR

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Development

 
Department
System Ecotoxicology

PD Dr. Matthias Liess
Dr. Mikhail Beketov
Dr. Mira Kattwinkel

Development

History -  SPEAR (Species At Risk) 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, Finland (3) and Australia (4).


Large scale Extrapolation - We extrapolated exposure and effect to the European level (5).


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. (6), (7)
  • SPEARorganic - Indicates continuous exposure to organic toxicants. Trait involved is physiological sensitivity to organic toxicants. (8)
  • SPEARsalinity - Indicates continuous exposure to salinity. Trait involved is physiological sensitivity to salinity (9).
  • SPEARmesocosm - Evaluates toxicant effects on invertebrate communities in complex test systems as meso- and microcosms (10).

  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) Schäfer, R.B., Pettigrove, V., Rose, G., Allinson, G., Wightwick, A., Von Der Ohe, P.C., Shimeta, J., Kühne, R. & Kefford, B.J. (2011) Effects of pesticides monitored with three sampling methods in 24 sites on macroinvertebrates and microorganisms. Environmental Science & Technology   → Request PDF
  5. (5) Schriever C, Liess M. 2007. Mapping ecological risk of agricultural pesticide runoff in Europe. Science of the Total Environment. 384, 264-279.   → Request PDF
  6. (6) 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
  7. (7) 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
  8. (8) 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
  9. (9) Schäfer, R.B., Kefford, B., Metzeling, L., Liess, M., Burgert, S., Marchant, R., Pettigrove, V., Goonan, P. & Nugegoda, D. (2011) A trait database of stream invertebrates for the ecological risk assessment of single and combined effects of salinity and pesticides in South-East Australia. Science of the Total Environment, in press.   → Request PDF
  10. (10) Liess M, Beketov M. 2011. Traits and stress - keys to identify community effects of low levels of toxicants in test systems. Ecotoxiccology. Online First.. → Download PDF