The Sub-lethal Effects of Pesticides on Amphibians

The field of ecotoxicology assesses the adverse effects of pesticides predominantly via the administration of acute toxicity tests that determine the lethal dosages of the pesticide in concern. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that sub-lethal doses of pesticide significantly alter the normal development and function of several groups, especially in the aquatic ecosystem. Having considered that environmental contaminants play a significant role in the global decline of amphibian populations, a review of the sub-lethal effects of pesticides on amphibians demonstrates that the research has not been well distributed, but largely focused the studying physiology. Moreover, we find that there is a significant lack of research on the adult stages of amphibians, thus ignoring a range of important questions given that the adults perform a very different role in the ecological community