Distribution and impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on agricultural wetlands and water birds of Prairie Canada

在整个北美和欧洲，食虫农田和湿地鸟类的数量严重下降，一些研究指出，农业集约化和杀虫剂使用量的增加是主要原因。杀虫剂通过食物链的间接影响被认为是农田鸟类物种减少的可能原因。一种相对较新的系统性杀虫剂--新烟碱类杀虫剂于1998-2003年间首次在加拿大注册，目前在草原地区被广泛用于处理油菜籽和其他油料作物、谷类作物和玉米等害虫防治应用的种子。目前，全世界新烟碱类杀虫剂的使用增长速度快于其他杀虫剂，包括氨基甲酸酯、有机磷和拟除虫菊酯，这主要是因为它们作为种子处理的用途，它们高度的植物系统活动，加上其他神经活性物质的有效性降低和健康问题。

Populations of insectivorous farmland and wetland birds have declined severely throughout North America and Europe and several studies point to agricultural intensification and the increasing use of pesticides as major contributing factors. Indirect effects of pesticides, operating through the food chain, have been proposed as a possible causal factor in the decline of farmland bird species. A relatively new class of systemic insecticides, the neonicotinoids, were first registered in Canada between 1998-2003 and are now widely used in the Prairie region for treatment of seeds for canola and other oilseeds, cereal crops and corn among other pest control applications. Use of neonicotinoids worldwide is currently increasing faster than other insecticides including carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids, largely due to their utility as a seed treatment, their high plant systemic activity in combination with reduced effectiveness and health concerns of other neuroactive