Hidden impacts of environmental stressors on freshwater communities could be revealed at lower concentrations by correlation of abundances network analyses: An example with herbicides glyphosate, 2,4-D, and their mixtures

Abstract

Multiple stressors affect freshwater systems worldwide. Ecotoxicological studies are often focused on the abundance analysis of their communities. In this study, I discuss the possibility of incorporating correlation networks to earlier bring to light the possible hidden effects of environmental stressors on community interactions. A re-analysis of the published data from an experiment where the herbicides glyphosate, 2,4-D and their mixtures were applied in microcosms revealed that correlation networks can detect impacts on the community interactions at herbicide concentrations lower than those in which abundances were drastically modified. I propose the correlation of abundances network analysis (CANA) as a new approach for ecotoxicological freshwater community studies.