Date of Award

2018

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Awarded

Master of Science (MS)

Program

Environmental and Conservation Science

Department

Biological Sciences

College

Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies

Faculty Advisor

Sweetman, Jon

Description

The use of neonicotinoid pesticides is widespread throughout agricultural regions, including the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America. Recently, there have been growing concerns regarding the use of these pesticides and their potential impacts to non-target organisms, particularly honey bees and native pollinators. Neonicotinoids, being highly water soluble, have been found to occur widely in wetlands within the PPR, with potential impacts affecting sensitive aquatic insects. Prairie pothole wetlands are important ecological resources, producing over half of North America’s duck populations. Using semi-field mesocosm experiments and a survey of PPR wetlands in Western Minnesota, I explored the distribution and concentration of neonicotinoids on the landscape and investigated the potential impacts to a group of aquatic insects belonging to the family Chironomidae. This research provides additional information on the fate of neonicotinoids on the landscape and their impact to sensitive aquatic insects.

Rights

NDSU Policy 190.6.2

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28711

Download

Share

COinS