Monitoring ecological effects

Fergusson, D. (1994). The effects of 4-hydroxycoumarin Anticoagulant Rodenticides on Birds and the Development of Techniques for Non-destructively Monitoring Their Ecological Effects, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Reading, UK. 

Methods and measurements used in biomonitoring for ecological effects. A number of methods are used both in a laboratory situation and in the field to attempt to classify the effects of xeno-biotics upon ecological systems. Toxicity tests can be used to examine effects at several levels of biological organization and can be performed with species introduced as monitors for a particular environment. 

In contrast with chemical analytical techniques (e.g. chromatography linked to a sensitive detector) that generally produce quantitative data, biological tools can be used for both quantitative and qualitative purposes in environmental monitoring, and can be used to detect the concentration of a contaminant, or just its presence or absence. They can also provide information on the toxicological and/or ecological effects of the contaminant. In this context, different BREs have been employed in a range of different applications (Table 3.4.2) ... 

Step 1 (Identify Ecological Effect). The process begins at the moment when an effect is observed in a certain water body, causing that water body to be given a poor score on one or more of the metrics or sub-metrics. This conclusion is drawn during surveillance monitoring and/or operational monitoring. 

There are several consistent themes that run through this volume that indicate what we still need to do. One of the highest priorities is to find a more effective way to reduce major sources of acid deposition other than sulfur dioxide. This means reducing emissions of nitrous oxides and ammonia that are derived from dispersed sources (vehicles and farming activities, respectively) and so are more difficult to control. Another theme is that we need to understand and monitor the ecological effects of acid deposition in a wide range of ecosystems, and determine if there are ways to speed their recovery from decades of acid deposition. 

Another major effort to link pollutant levels with ecosystem effects is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Marine Ecosystems Analysis (MESA) program conducts monitoring surveys off both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts which focus on determining the long-term ecological effects of exposure of marine biota to petroleum constituents. These data are published in papers and in MESA reports. 

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