Taxonomic specificity, ecological

The widespread distribution of natural products on land Views on the distribution of secondary metabolites are changing. Once thought to be strictly taxon-specific, the same families of secondary metabolites, if not just the same compounds, are more and more frequently encountered in taxonomically, phylogenetically, and ecologically distant organisms (Chapter 3). It is the advancement in analytical technology that allows us to detect compounds that have escaped attention in the past, hidden in the bulk extracts or present in trace amounts. 

Annex V of the WFD lists the three main parameters of the macroinvertebrate community to be focused on for ecological assessment diversity, taxonomic composition and abundance, and the ratio of disturbance-sensitive taxa to insensitive taxa. Restoration from moderate to at least good status is required when these parameters differ from type-specific reference conditions to an extent coincident with the absence of major taxonomic groups. These parameters are not exclusive and others may be included to achieve the overall aim of an ecological status designation of the WFD as an expression of the quality of the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems (WFD, Article 2). 

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