Published Paper: Pesticides and Biodiversity

If you did not already know, or at least suspected, that pesticides used in agriculture could have a negative impact on species diversity, there is now proof. In this article:

• Geiger et al. “Persistent negative effects of pesticides on biodiversity and biological control potential on European farmland“. Basic and Applied Ecology, Volume 11, Issue 2, March 2010.

the result of a joint study in eight European countries, we present that biodiversity indeed takes a strike by the use of pesticides, at several levels. Also, actions are needed for a change in the structure of the large-scale agriculture. And why do I say we? This isn’t exactly microbiology, is it? Well, this is the first publication related to the field assistant work I did during the Summers of 2007 and 2008. There is more in the pipeline, but this first publication at least shows that there are considerable risks with the way we use weed control.