PAN EUROPEAN ASSESSMENT, MONITORING, AND MITIGATION OF CHEMICAL STRESSORS ON THE HEALTH OF WILD POLLINATORS (WILDPOSH)

Lead Participant: UNIVERSITY OF READING

Abstract

Wild fauna and flora are facing variable and challenging environmental disturbances. One of the animal groups that is most impacted
by this, concerns pollinators. Pollinators face multiple threats, but the spread of anthropogenic chemicals (i.e. pesticides) form a major
potential driver of these threats. WildPosh is a multi-actor, transdisciplinary project whose overarching mission and ambition are to
significantly improve the evaluation of risk to pesticide exposure of wild pollinators, and enhance the sustainable health of pollinators
and pollination services in Europe. As chemical exposure varies geographically, across cropping systems, inside the crop system and
among pollinators, we will characterise exposure by doing fieldwork in 4 countries representing the four main climatic European regions,
Mediterranean, Atlantic, Continental and Boreal climate in Germany, England, Estonia and Spain. We will also develop experiments in
controlled conditions on different species of bees, syrphid flies, moths and butterflies, and collect in silico data on their traits and on
toxicity of pesticides. With WildPosh, we aim to achieve the following objectives: 1. Determining the real-world agrochemical exposure
profile of wild pollinators at landscape level, within and among sites; 2. Using integrated and controlled laboratory and semi-field
experiments to characterise causal relationships between pesticides and pollinator health; 3. Building an open database on pollinator
traits/distribution and chemicals to define exposure and toxicity scenarios by developing databases on ecological traits and the spatial
distribution of pollinators in relation to their potential exposure to pesticide; 4. Proposing integrated systems-based risk assessment
tools for risk assessment for wild pollinators; and 5. Driving policy and practice through interactive innovation, meeting the need for
monitoring tools, novel and innovative screening protocols for practice and policymaker use.

Lead Participant

Project Cost

Grant Offer

 

Participant

UNIVERSITY OF READING

Publications

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