Impacts of plant protection products on biodiversity and ecosystem services

Forword 

Introduction 

Context 

Request for assessment 

CSA principles 

Composition of the expert group 

Sources used 

Analysis framework 

1. Preamble regarding the fragmentation of knowledge

Patchy and heterogeneous nature 

Complementarity of approaches and objects of study 

2. Environmental contamination by PPPs and exposure of organisms 

Proven environmental contamination by a wide range of PPPs 

Transfer dynamics and fate of substances 

Influence of context on exposure dynamics 

Measures for limiting contamination and exposure 

New developments and prospects for characterizing contamination and exposure 

3. Effects on biodiversity 

From exposure to effects, sources of variability in sensitivity to PPPs 

Highlighting the different types of effects 

Effects on the state of biodiversity and its change 

Impacts on ecosystem functions 

Innovations and future directions for the assessment of effects 

4. Consequences for ecosystem services 

Conceptual links between functions and services 

Principal ecosystem services impacted 

Innovations and future prospects regarding ecosystem services 

5. Cross-cutting areas of concern or improvement 

Issues related to the choice of substances

Accumulation phenomena

Reported improvements 

Improvements made, and persistent difficulties on the scientific front

6. Interactions between science and regulation 

Requirements and complexity of PPP regulations 

Available scientific knowledge not being considered 

Disconnection between pre-market and post-market assessment 

Most frequently identified avenues for improvement 

Conclusions

PPP contamination is known to affect all environments

The state of knowledge in the French overseas territories remains highly incomplete 

PPPs contribute to the weakening of biodiversity 

PPPs reduce the capacity to provide ecosystem services 

Impacts are highly dependent on the methods and context of use 

Instruments to partially mitigate the impacts

In non-agricultural areas, a redesign of management methods 

The ambitious objectives of the PPP regulatory framework have not been fully met 

The use of existing knowledge for regulatory purposes needs to be better organised 

Taking better account of the complexity of exposures and effects 

Linking the study of agricultural systems to that of ecosystems 

Acronyms and abbreviations

Glossary 

Selected bibliography 

Working group