Effect On Animals
Pesticides inflict extremely widespread damage to biota, and many countries have acted to discourage pesticide usage through their Biodiversity Action Plans.
Animals may be poisoned by pesticide residues that remain on food after spraying, for example when wild animals enter sprayed fields or nearby areas shortly after spraying.
Widespread application of pesticides can eliminate food sources that certain types of animals need, causing the animals to relocate, change their diet, or starve. Poisoning from pesticides can travel up the food chain; for example, birds can be harmed when they eat insects and worms that have consumed pesticides. Earthworms digest organic matter and increase nutrient content in the top layer of soil. They aid in protecting human health by ingesting decomposing litter and serving as bioindicators in soil activity while creating a richer environment. A number of studies have shown that pesticides have had harmful effects on growth and reproduction on earthworms, which are in turn consumed by terrestrial vertebrates such as birds and small mammals. Some pesticides can bioaccumulate, or build up to toxic levels in the bodies of organisms that consume them over time, a phenomenon that impacts species high on the food chain especially hard.
Read more about this topic: Environmental Impact Of Pesticides
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—Max Beerbohm (1872–1956)
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