[msscha]

While birds may not always be considered a friend to bees;-), they nonetheless attracts attention and are another indicator species of poor natural conditions.

Declines in insectivorous birds are associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations -- http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v511/n7509/full/nature13531.html?WT.ec_id=NATURE-20140717

 

[JWChesnut]

I have this paper and the supporting materials, if you want to review the document message me.

I think the paper may be over-interpreting correlation with causation. It makes heroic efforts to isolate variables. But consider that its interpolated map of concentration is very highly localized, driven by higher concentration in the Rotterdam to Amsterdam urban corridor.


This high concentration area in google earth satellite


The significance trend is driven by the relative few records in the high zone, which also happens to be geographically concentrated, and especially urban. Remove the forcing effects of points in the Amsterdam suburbs and the trendline disappears.


The headlines on the article could be equally valid if they read: "Human Urban concentrations cause decline in all other life forms, strategic extinction of humans supported"

 

[wildbranch2007]

The headlines on the article could be equally valid if they read: "Human Urban concentrations cause decline in all other life forms, strategic extinction of humans supported"

:thumbsup:

 

[BernhardHeuvel]

It is a shame how the journals like NATURE do their homework nowadays...

Do you know how the "urban" area looks like in the Netherlands? Did you use google street view to get an impression? (Not so urban...) Why would be the concentration of an insecticide in an urban areas greater than elsewhere?

 

[msscha]

I have this paper and the supporting materials, if you want to review the document message me.

Thank you for the offer -- I have access to the article as well!

 

[Oldtimer]

All the same, I don't really see any great mystery if insect eating birds decline after insects are killed by poison.