Electromagnetic radiation of mobile telecommunication antennas affects the abundance and composition of wild pollinators

Lázaro, Amparo; Chroni, Antonia; Tscheulin, Thomas; Devalez, Jelle; Matsoukas, C.; Petanidou, Theodora

doi:10.1007/s10841-016-9868-8

Cited by 46 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…However, still very little is known about the effect of electromagnetic radiation on other insect pollinators in field conditions. Only one study to our knowledge has evaluated the abundance and diversity of pollinators in wild communities in relation to electromagnetic radiation (Lázaro et al, 2016). This study showed that as radiation levels in the environment augmented, the abundance of several pollinator guilds (beetles, wasps and hoverflies) decreased, whereas the abundance of other groups of insects (underground-nesting wild bees and bee flies) increased.…”

Section: Plant-insect Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…This study showed that as radiation levels in the environment augmented, the abundance of several pollinator guilds (beetles, wasps and hoverflies) decreased, whereas the abundance of other groups of insects (underground-nesting wild bees and bee flies) increased. Lázaro et al (2016) hypothesized that larvae developing aboveground (many beetles, wasps, many hoverflies) might be more vulnerable than those developing underground (underground nesting wild bees), because the former may be exposed to higher radiation levels. Pollinators potentially more tolerant to radiation might fill the vacant niches left by less tolerant species and increase their populations.…”

Section: Plant-insect Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community – Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects

Czerwiński

Januszkiewicz

Vian

et al. 2020

Ecological Indicators

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Environmental exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) from mobile telephony has rapidly increased in the last two decades and this trend is expected to continue. The effects of this exposure at plant community level are unknown and difficult to assess in a scientifically appropriate manner. Such an assessment can be scientifically adequate if a studied plant community is completely new and control-impact radiation treatment is used. In this review we aimed to predict ecological effects and identify indicators of the impact of bioactive RF-EMFs at the mobile telephony frequency range on plant communities. We considered the scenario where a plant community was exposed to radiation generated by a base transmitting station antenna mounted on a nearby mast. This plant community can be represented by mesic meadow, ruderal or arable weed community, or other herbaceous, moderately productive vegetation type. We concentrated primarily on radiation effects that can be recorded for a year since the exposure started. To predict them we used physical theories of radiowave propagation in vegetation and the knowledge on plants physiological responses to RF-EMF. Our indicators can be used for the detection of the impact of RF-EMFs on vegetation in a control-impact experiment. The identified indicators can be classified into the following groups: (1) canopy parameters; (2) plant characteristics to be measured in the field or laboratory in a number of individuals that represent the populations of selected species; (3) community weighted means/medians (CWMs) of plant traits and strategies; (4) the abundance of other organisms that interact with plants and can influence their fitness or population size. The group of canopy parameters includes mean height, vertical vegetation structure and dry weight of above-ground standing phytomass. Plant characteristics requiring biometric sampling in the field are plant height, the number of fruits and seeds, as well as seed viability. The group of plant traits that are calculated as CWMs covers seed releasing height, seed dispersal mode, SLA, leaf orientation, month of germination and flowering, Ellenberg's light indicator value, and the proportion of individuals in the classes of competitors and stress tolerators according to Grime's CSR strategy scheme. The group of "non-plant" indicators includes primarily the frequency of flower visits by beetles, wasps, hoverflies, and bees that have their nests over ground. To detect ecological responses that occur for the first year since a herbaceous community has been exposed to potentially bioactive RF-EMF, the first two indicators groups should be used.

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Section: Plant-insect Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Plant-insect Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community – Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects

Czerwiński

Januszkiewicz

Vian

et al. 2020

Ecological Indicators

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In his 2013 study, Martin Pall observed that long-term exposure to nonionizing frequencies increases calcium inside the cell, allowing excessive amounts to pass into the mitochondria, which leads to a reduced ability to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and increased oxidative stress. This damage at the cellular level extends beyond humans, affecting insects and plants as well (Lázaro, Chroni, Tscheulin et al 2016.…”

Section: Media+environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Streaming Media’s Environmental Impact

Marks¹,

Clark²,

Livingston³

et al. 2020

Media+Environment

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This group of articles, which arose from a panel planned for the 2020 annual meeting of members of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, draws attention to an unpopular but inescapable issue: the adverse environmental effects of streaming media. Four of these brief interventions focus on streaming media's carbon footprint, estimated by some to be 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (The Shift Project 2019). This startling figure is rising at a calamitous rate as more people around the world stream more media at higher bandwidth-now exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Another factor in streaming media's environmental impact is even less welcome: the deleterious effects of higher levels of electromagnetic frequencies that media corporations' turn to fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology would exacerbate. These effects are well documented yet almost universally ignored. Despite all these findings, the notion abides that digital media are immaterial. Laura U. Marks introduces the research challenges involved in calculating the carbon footprint of streaming media and suggests actions consumers and media makers can take to mitigate this environmental threat. Joseph Clark discusses the implications of digitizing huge amounts of archival film and connects material histories of news film production, distribution, and preservation or disposal to contemporary issues of digital storage, streaming, and energy use, using the newsreel archive as a case study. Jason Livingston's contribution expands on his droll and disturbing video lecture, which presents a speculative app for mobile phones that tracks streaming, correlates it to energy use and CO 2 emissions, and suggests methods to mitigate usage. Denise Oleksijczuk introduces scientific research on the health and environmental impacts of high levels of electromagnetic frequencies and suggests ways, including creative practice, to break through the resistance to these findings among telecommunications companies, governments, and the public. Lucas Hilderbrand focuses on best practices in teaching: how to educate our students Laura U. Marks' most recent book is Hanan al-Cinema: Affections for the Moving Image (MIT, 2015). She programs experimental media art for venues around the world and is the founder of the Small File Media Festival and a founding member of the Substantial Motion Research Network. Marks

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“…Data on sociality and on nesting biology were based on Michener (), Lázaro et al. () and Müller (), and our own observations; non‐solitary species include: eusocial, socially polymorphic, communal and primitive eusocial (Table ). Dry body mass was measured by weighing intact dried, pollen‐free specimens, using a high‐precision electronic balance.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Floral volatiles and visitors: A meta‐network of associations in a natural community

et al. 2019

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Chemosensory communication between flowers and pollinators is a fundamentalcomponent of terrestrial biodiversity, given the importance of olfaction to foraging animals. In this respect, exploring chemically mediated interspecific interactions in natural assemblies may provide novel insights into the ecofunctional significance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for plant-insect co-evolution.However, multispecies datasets of associations between plant semiochemicals and arthropods are still very rare and tend to lack community context. Here, we present the first insect-floral VOC meta-network using plant-pollinator visitation data and the plants' floral scent blends, collected in a Mediterranean scrubland.2. We assembled the insect-VOC meta-network by substituting each plant species in the plant-pollinator network with the blend of VOCs it emits. Furthermore, we identified the modules of the network that is the most densely connected insect-VOC groups. After describing the role of the species in the network, we focused on the bees of the community, and by building phylogenetically informed GLS models, we found the species traits predicting the degree of chemical specialization.3. Modularity analysis of the meta-network revealed tight associations between several classes of VOCs and pollinator groups. Linkage patterns suggest positive associations between (a) Megachilidae bees and sesquiterpenes, (b) Apidae and Andrenidae bees and benzenoids/phenylpropanoids, and (c) wasps, C6 green-leaf volatiles and specific terpenoids. Benzenoids were found to be the least influential and most specialized chemical class in the community, whereas sesquiterpenes represented the most influential one. Furthermore, the degree of chemical generalization of the bees in the meta-network was significantly associated with their ecological generalization, body mass and phenology, whereas their contribution to the network's structure was related to their level of sociality. Synthesis.Our findings help to disclose the ecofunctional significance of the floral volatile landscape and contribute novel testable hypotheses on the behavioural trends and chemical niches of pollinators in a natural community. The insect-volatilome meta-network is thus shown to be advantageous for detecting and visualizing patterns of chemically mediated interspecific interactions. Given the ubiquity | 2575

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Electromagnetic radiation of mobile telecommunication antennas affects the abundance and composition of wild pollinators

Cited by 46 publications

References 47 publications

The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community – Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects

The influence of bioactive mobile telephony radiation at the level of a plant community – Possible mechanisms and indicators of the effects

Streaming Media’s Environmental Impact

Floral volatiles and visitors: A meta‐network of associations in a natural community

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