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Related Experiment Videos

Two stressors are far deadlier than one.

Andrew Sih1, Alison M Bell, Jacob L Kerby

  • 1Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. asih@ucdavis.edu

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|May 17, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Pesticides and predator cues combine to cause high amphibian larval mortality, even without direct predation. This synergistic effect highlights the complex impacts of multiple environmental stressors on wildlife.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Amphibian Biology

Background:

  • Amphibians face numerous natural and anthropogenic stressors.
  • Pesticides and predation are significant threats to amphibian populations.
  • Previous research indicates potential negative interactions between stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the combined effects of pesticides and predator chemical cues on amphibian larvae.
  • To determine if sublethal pesticide concentrations interact synergistically with predation risk.
  • To identify species-specific responses to combined stressors.

Main Methods:

  • Exposing amphibian larvae to sublethal pesticide concentrations.
  • Introducing predator chemical cues (without actual predators).

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  • Monitoring larval mortality rates under different stressor combinations.

    • Main Results:

    • Combined exposure to pesticides and predator cues caused massive larval mortality (80-90%).
    • Increased mortality occurred even with predator chemical cues alone, without direct predation.
    • The synergistic effect was species-specific, impacting some amphibian species more than others.

    Conclusions:

    • Sublethal pesticide concentrations can dramatically amplify mortality risk when combined with perceived predation.
    • Predator chemical cues alone can trigger significant mortality in the presence of pesticides.
    • Further research is needed to understand the conditions driving synergistic stressor effects in natural ecosystems.