Effects of exposure to the insecticides Dimethoate and Tau-Fluvalinate on the toxicity and foraging preferences of Bumblebees
2024 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 15 credits / 22,5 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
This study addresses the urgent need to understand the ecological impacts of pesticides, focusing on the toxic effects of Dimethoate and Tau-Fluvalinate on bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), essential pollinators in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Recent declines in bee populations have highlighted the detrimental effects of agrochemicals, motivating this investigation into their impacts on bee mortality, behavior, and foraging preferences. The study finds that Dimethoate significantly increases mortality and induces erratic behaviors, while Tau-Fluvalinate exhibits lower toxicity, impacting neither bee behavior nor foraging preferences at environmentally realistic concentrations. These results underscore the importance of evaluating pesticide effects under realistic usage conditions to better guide agricultural practices and pesticide regulation. Further research is essential to explore the sub-lethal and long-term effects of these chemicals on bumblebee populations and pollination dynamics.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024.
Keywords [en]
Bumblebees, Dimethoate, Tau-Fluvalinate, Pesticide Toxicity, Foraging Preferences
National Category
Biological Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-54297OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-54297DiVA, id: diva2:1883673
Subject / course
Environmental Science
Educational program
Master's Programme in Applied Environmental Science
Presentation
2024-05-24, S3060, Kristian IV:s väg 3, 301 18 Halmstad, Halmstad, 13:15 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
2024-09-122024-07-112025-10-01Bibliographically approved