1,721,094 research outputs found
Selection of focal earthworm species as non-target soil organisms for environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants
No full textBy means of a literature survey, earthworm species of significant relevance for soil functions in different biogeographical regions of Europe (Atlantic, Boreal, Mediterranean) were identified. These focal earthworm species, defined here according to the EFSA Guidance Document on the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of genetically modified plants, are typical for arable soils under crop rotations with maize and/or potatoes within the three regions represented by Ireland, Sweden and Spain, respectively. Focal earthworm species were selected following a matrix of four steps: Identification of functional groups, categorization of non-target species, ranking species on ecological criteria, and final selection of focal species. They are recommended as appropriate non-target organisms to assess environmental risks of genetically modified (GM) crops; in this case maize and potatoes. In total, 44 literature sources on earthworms in arable cropping systems including maize or potato from Ireland, Sweden and Spain were collected, which present information on species diversity, individual density and specific relevance for soil functions. By means of condensed literature data, those species were identified which (i) play an important functional role in respective soil systems, (ii) are well adapted to the biogeographical regions, (iii) are expected to occur in high abundances under cultivation of maize or potato and (iv) fulfill the requirements for an ERA test system based on life-history traits. First, primary and secondary decomposers were identified as functional groups being exposed to the GM crops. In a second step, anecic and endogeic species were categorized as potential species. In step three, eight anecic and endogeic earthworm species belonging to the family Lumbricidae were ranked as relevant species: Aporrectodea caliginosa, Aporrectodea rosea, Aporrectodea longa, Allolobophora chlorotica, Lumbricus terrestris, Lumbricus friendi, Octodrilus complanatus and Octolasion cyaneum. Five out of these eight species are relevant for each biogeographical region with an overlap in the species. Finally, the earthworm species Ap. caliginosa (endogeic, secondary decomposer) and L. terrestris (anecic, primary decomposer) were selected as focal species. In the Mediterranean region L. terrestris may be substituted by the more relevant anecic species L. friendi. The selected focal species are recommended to be included in a standardized laboratory ERA test system based on life-history traits. © 2016 Elsevier B.V
A stakeholder engagement approach for identifying future research directions in the evaluation of current and emerging applications of GMOs
No full textThe yield of several commodity crops is provided in large part by genetically modified crops in North and South America. However, reservations exist in Europe due to possible negative effects on human health or environment. This paper aims to analyse the current research priorities identified in EU countries and to engage European stakeholders into the formulation of future common research needs regarding the effects of the possible adoption of commercially available and forthcoming genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the areas of socio-economics, human and animal health, and environment. Additionally, it aims to identify the requirements for sharing available research capacities and existing infrastructures. First a mapping exercise of existing research activities in Europe was performed. A questionnaire was developed on a web-based platform and submitted to national focal points to collect information from EU Member States. Information was collected from 320 research projects conducted in the last 10 years in Europe. To refine results of the surveys, twenty invited experts and stakeholders from the public funding agencies of different EU Member States participated in an international workshop. This paper reports the main findings of these activities. © Firenze University Press
The AMIGA project: Assessing and Monitoring the Impacts of Genetically modified plants on Agro-ecosystems
No full textDiversity of coccinellidae in ecological compensation areas of Italy and overlap with maize pollen shedding period
No full textLadybird beetles (Coleoptera Coccinellidae) are important predators of aphids and other crop pests, and there is great interest in their conservation in agroecosystems. Bt-maize, genetically engineered to express insecticidal Cry proteins, is regarded as a taxon-specific way of controlling pests, but some concerns have been raised about the possibility of unintended negative effects on non-target organisms, including coccinellids. One of the possible routes of exposure of ladybird beetles to Cry toxins is by feeding on maize pollen, as for many species pollen is an important integrative food source. In this study, coccinellid adults were sampled by sweep netting in Ecological Compensation Areas (ECAs) in three sites of Northern and Central Italy, where conventional maize cultivars are grown (Bt-maize is currently forbidden for commercial cultivation in Italy). The coccinellid communities were sampled during and around the typical flowering periods of maize in order to check their diversity and their overlap with pollen shedding. A total of 11 species were recorded. Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), Coccinella septempunctata L. and the exotic Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) were the most abundant species in Northern Italy, whereas Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata (L.) and Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata (L.) were dominant in Central Italy. The potential exposure to maize pollen was different in the two areas, since in Northern Italy the maize flowering coincided with a period of high coccinellid activity in the field, whereas in Central Italy the ladybird population peaks occurred roughly one month earlier than the anthesis. The collected data might be useful for exposure characterization of ladybird beetles in a possible future scenario of Bt-maize cropping in the studied areas. © 2016, Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Department of Agroenvironmental Sciences and Technologies. All rights reserved
Seasonal patterns in butterfly abundance and species diversity in five characteristic habitats in sites of community importance in Sicily (Italy)
No full textSicily (Italy) is one of the richest European regions in animal biodiversity. Butterflies offer good opportunities for studies on biodiversity, population and community ecology. Many species are strictly seasonal, preferring only a particular set of habitats. Five typical Mediterranean habitats: olive grove (conducted following organic farm management), mixed wood, ampelodesmos prairie (with dominance of Ampelodesmos mauritanicus), Mediterranean shrub and shrub at the coastal areas, were monitored for diversity and seasonal patterns in butterfly communities for 2 years. All habitats were inside protected areas indicated as Sites of Community Importance. Butterfly species richness was highest in ampelodesmos prairie and in olive grove. Pieris brassicae, Lasiommata megera, Maniola jurtina, Pararge aegeria have been reported in all habitats, although with different abundance whilst other species were observed only in one particular habitat. Melanargia pherusa, endemic species, and Hipparchia statilinus, listed in the IUCN Red List, respectively as “Least Concern” and “Near Threatened”, were observed in the ampelodesmos prairie. The morphotype Coenonympha pamphilus f. lyllus was reported in olive grove and ampelodesmos prairie. The majority of species showed abundance peaks in June and July, however many species showed a longer flight period than reported in literature with detection of specimens until November or December. The analysis of the similarity of communities among habitats shows a similarity between ampelodesmos prairie and olive grove and between Mediterranean shrub and Mediterranean shrub at the coastal areas, while the butterfly community in mixed wood is substantially different. The results of several diversity indexes suggest that ampelodesmos prairie has an important ecological role, as it supports butterfly abundance and species diversity. Copyright 2015, Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Department of Agroenvironmental Sciences and Technologies, All Rights Reserved
A statistical simulation model for field testing of non-target organisms in environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants
No full textGenetic modification of plants may result in unintended effects causing potentially adverse effects on the environment. A comparative safety assessment is therefore required by authorities, such as the European Food Safety Authority, in which the genetically modified plant is compared with its conventional counterpart. Part of the environmental risk assessment is a comparative field experiment in which the effect on non-target organisms is compared. Statistical analysis of such trials come in two flavors: difference testing and equivalence testing. It is important to know the statistical properties of these, for example, the power to detect environmental change of a given magnitude, before the start of an experiment. Such prospective power analysis can best be studied by means of a statistical simulation model. This paper describes a general framework for simulating data typically encountered in environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants. The simulation model, available as Supplementary Material, can be used to generate count data having different statistical distributions possibly with excess-zeros. In addition the model employs completely randomized or randomized block experiments, can be used to simulate single or multiple trials across environments, enables genotype by environment interaction by adding random variety effects, and finally includes repeated measures in time following a constant, linear or quadratic pattern in time possibly with some form of autocorrelation. The model also allows to add a set of reference varieties to the GM plants and its comparator to assess the natural variation which can then be used to set limits of concern for equivalence testing. The different count distributions are described in some detail and some examples of how to use the simulation model to study various aspects, including a prospective power analysis, are provided. © 2014 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
The impact of transgenic plants on natural enemies: A critical review of laboratory studies
No full textWe reviewed laboratory tests which studied the impact of genetically modified plants on arthropod natural enemies. A total of 18 species of predators and 14 species of parasitoids have been tested, most in only a few experiments. Certain groups (braconid wasps) or species (the green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea) have attracted much effort, while representatives of others, including whole orders (e.g., Diptera), have never had a species tested. We conclude that laboratory tests are not the 'worst case' scenarios intended by the experimental designs, and are not often ecologically realistic: they typically provided ad libitum feeding, no prey choice, single prey type, no combination of stress factors and usually uniform temperatures. None of these are representative of field conditions, yet most could be easily mimicked in more complex laboratory tests. In most cases (94.6%), the studies were unable to indicate the level of power required to detect any impact. Small sample size and large variability are factors that mask all but very large differences in potential effects. For predators, 126 parameters were quantified, most commonly including survival/mortality (37 cases), development time (22), and body mass/size (20). For parasitoids, 128 parameters were quantified, the majority involving lectins or proteinase inhibitors. Most frequent measurements were: fecundity (23 experiments), adult longevity, extent of parasitism (17 each), body size, mortality, and larval development time. An aggregative scoring (summarising all quantified parameters) indicated that the laboratory tests quantified a remarkable number of cases (30% for predators, 39.8% for parasitoids), where the impacts of the genetically modified plant were significantly negative. These involve various parameters, organisms, test methods, and significance levels, but collectively they indicate that the use of genetically modified crops may result in negative effects on the natural enemies of crop pests
Predicting the Adaptation of Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Transgenic Eggplants Expressing CryIII Toxin: The Role of Gene Dominance, Migration, and Fitness Costs
No full textA simulation model was developed to predict the possible adaptation of Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say to CryIII toxin expressed in transgenic eggplant. Use of mixed fields of transgenic and susceptible isolines at a 90:10 ratio has been simulated. Beetle movement, a fundamental feature when studying plant mixtures, has been addressed with a 2-stage hypothesis. Biological and genetic characteristics of the beetles have been set to specifically address their possible interactions with resistant eggplant. The role of gene dominance, migration, and fitness costs associated with the resistant genotype have been examined. Using the hypothesis of partial dominance of the resistant gene, only a high level of migration (very likely, in most agricultural areas) or a sensible reduction of the fitness of resistant beetles, associated with the change in their genome, can guarantee a long-lasting efficacy of the germplasm. The simulations clearly indicate that the effect of resistance in transgenic clones expressing Bacillus thuringiensis-derived toxins can be optimized only in accordance with opportune agricultural practices
Transgenic insecticidal crops and natural enemies: A detailed review of laboratory studies
Full text linkThis review uses a data-driven, quantitative method to summarize the published, peer-reviewed literature about the impact of genetically modified (GM) plants on arthropod natural enemies in laboratory experiments. The method is similar to meta-analysis, and, in contrast to a simple author-vote counting method used by several earlier reviews, gives an objective, data-driven summary of existing knowledge about these effects. Significantly more non-neutral responses were observed than expected at random in 75% of the comparisons of natural enemy groups and response classes. These observations indicate that Cry toxins and proteinase inhibitors often have non-neutral effects on natural enemies. This synthesis identifies a continued bias toward studies on a few predator species, especially the green lacewing, Chrysoperla cornea Stephens, which may be more sensitive to GM insecticidal plants (16.8% of the quantified parameter responses were significantly negative) than predators in general (10.9% significantly negative effects without C. cornea). Parasitoids were more susceptible than predators to the effects of both Cry toxins and proteinase inhibitors, with fewer positive effects (18.0%, significant and nonsignificant positive effects combined) than negative ones (66.1%, significant and nonsignificant negative effects combined). GM plants can have a positive effect on natural enemies (4.8% of responses were significantly positive), although significant negative (21.2%) effects were more common. Although there are data on 48 natural enemy species, the database is still far from adequate to predict the effect of a Bt toxin or proteinase inhibitor on natural enemies
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