ECOTOX - biomonitoring based on real time movement analysis of unicellular organisms

To meet the todays needs for the protection of the environment from pollution through cumulative poisonings or biohazards ecotoxicology uses biotests, to determine effects of chemicals and sewage waters to ecosystems. ECOTOX is a biotest system that allows both the estimation of risks arising from certain substances or substance mixtures as well as the on-line monitoring of waste waters and aquatic ecosystems. Euglena gracilis, the employed organism for freshwater measurements, found to be highly sensitive to external factors, provides several physiological endpoints, well fitted for toxicity hazard assessment in water management, which can be characterized by the ECOTOX program.     

A system for lake ecosystem indices

There is a growing awareness of the need to develop a more rational structure for scientific decision-making in the environmental sphere. The aim of this paper is to present an outline to a system for ecosystem indices (or indicators). This work is based on a holistic ecosystem perspective and the aim is to present an overall concept rather than practical results. One of the purposes of ecosystem indices is to give politicians and the general public a more easily understandable account of the environmental status and how it changes. An ecosystem index should be not only simple and concise, scientifically relevant and practical, but also economically feasible. This approach uses several important concepts, like target organisms, target ecosystems, environmental sensitivity, and environmental cost/benefit analyses related to remedial measures. Some of the ideas brought forward in this work may be unrealistic because of the complexities involved in establishing simple, practical and meaningful ecological indices. Still, the benefits of establishing even crude environmental indicators for certain ecosystems are so great, that this path is well worth pursuing.     

Policies for plant diversity conservation on a global scale: a Nitrogen driver analysis

Diversity is a complex term that includes taxonomic, functional, spatial and temporal aspects of organisms variety. Conservation policies must be supported by holistic studies of ecosystem function, must aim to transform scientific knowledge into social responsibility creating a culture of respect towards nature and should also include economic components. Mediterranean ecosystems will likely experience the greatest proportional changes in biodiversity due to the substantial influence of land use and climate change as major drivers. Land use includes not only rural abandonment but also intensive exploitation of native forests (cork oak woodlands) or shrublands for animal or crop production. These last two are dependent on large Nitrogen (N) inputs. In this paper we intend to show the responses of Mediterranean ecosystems to increased N availability in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. We present two case studies: 1) a gradient of N availability due to a N point source; and 2) N manipulative field experiment (doses and forms). With these results our aim is to pinpoint the importance of improving scientific knowledge at a local level before we establish conservation policies at global level. The two case studies reflect a strong influence of the N source on ecosystem function. Finally, we use the SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis approach to underpin the complexities of human intervention in the N cycle and the problem it poses for policies of plant conservation.     

New EU legislation for risk assessment of GM food: no scientific justification for mandatory animal feeding trials

This commentary focuses on the potential added value of and need for (sub)‐chronic testing of whole genetically modified (GM) foods in rodents to assess their safety. Such routine testing should not be required since, due to apparent weaknesses in the approach, it does not add to current risk assessment of GM foods. Moreover, the demand for routine testing using animals is in conflict with the European Union (EU) Commission's efforts to reduce animal experimentation. Regulating agencies in the EU are invited to respect the sound scientific principles applied to the risk assessment of foods derived from GM plants and not to interfere in the risk assessment by introducing extra requirements based on pseudo‐scientific or political considerations.     

Developmental testing of the Advanced Animal Habitat to determine compatibility with rats and mice

The Research Animal Holding Facility (RAHF) and the Animal Enclosure Module (AEM) have housed rats during Space Shuttle flights since the 1980s, but the operational constraints of the hardware have limited the scientific return from these Shuttle flights. The RAHF provides environmental control and monitoring for 24 rats with in-flight animal access, but it must be flown in the Spacelab. Due to the infrequent availability of Spacelab flights, rodent experiments rely heavily on the AEM. Unfortunately, the AEM supports only six rats, has no environmental control and provides no animal access in flight. The Advanced Animal Habitat (AAH) is being developed to support up to 12 adult rats or 30 adult mice for up to 30 days, provide active temperature control, animal telemetry and on-orbit video, record environmental parameters in the animal cage, and provide in-flight animal access in the Middeck, the Spacelab or the Space Station. To ensure the AAH can meet these requirements, animal testing is being conducted with rats and mice in every step of development. Testing began with the cage configuration.     

陆地生态系统环境控制实验的研究方法及技术体系

生物及生态系统与环境变化间的反馈关系及其过程机制是生态学研究的重要内容。不同类型的生物环境因素控制实验以及大尺度的联网野外控制实验被认为是认识生态系统响应和适应环境变化过程机制、精细定量表达的有效手段及认知过程的加速器。近年来发展了大型野外物理模拟实验装置网络(如ECOTRON)、生态系统分析与实验平台(AnaEE)、国际干旱实验研究网络(Drought Network)、氮沉降联合实验网络(Nutrient Network),以及基于各区域性生态观测实验站的联网控制实验(如USA-ILTER)。发展大陆尺度联网实验研究平台事业正日益受到学术界的重视,将会在认知生态系统环境响应过程机制方面发挥更重要的作用。基于以上背景,本文综述了生态系统环境控制实验的研究方法和实验体系的发展,明确指出各种类型的生物环境控制实验需要形成联合协作体系,共同解决生态系统对环境变化的响应及适应的基本科学问题。目前的控制实验包括: 1) 实验室封闭装置内的生物生理生态学控制实验;2) 野外实验场的半开放部分环境要素控制实验;3) 近自然状态的野外环境控制实验;以及4) 基于野外生态站的联网控制实验。进而,本文还深入讨论了陆地生态系统的环境响应及适应过程机制实验系统设计的发展趋势,分析了基于大尺度自然环境梯度实验及生态站尺度的要素控制实验的优势,提出了整合两种实验技术、发展新一代的野外联网实验体系的科学设想,讨论了基于野外联网控制实验的研究体系,论证了研究生态系统对环境变化短期响应和长期适应的规律和机制、生态系统环境响应定量表达的技术途径。若本文提出的控制实验体系设计方案能够得以实施,必将大大促进我国乃至全球生态系统和环境变化科学的研究水平,对我国应对气候变化和生态环境建设具有重要的科学意义。     

Determining climate change impacts on ecosystems: the role of palaeontology

Climate change is projected to change the ecosystems on land and in the sea at rates that are unprecedented for millions of years. The most commonly used approach to derive projections of how ecosystems will look in the future are experiments on living organisms. By their nature, experiments are unlike the real world and cannot capture the ability of organisms to migrate, select and evolve. They are often limited to a select few species and drivers of environmental change and hence cannot represent the complexity of interactions in ‘real’ ecosystems. The fossil record is an archive of responses to climate change at a global ecosystem scale. If, and only if, fossil assemblage variation is combined with independent information of environmental changes, sensitives of species or higher taxa to a specific magnitude of change of an environmental driver can be determined and used to inform future vulnerabilities of this species to the same driver. While records are often fragmented, there are time intervals which, when thoroughly analysed with quantitative data, can provide valuable insights into the future of biodiversity on this planet. This review provides an overview of projected impacts on marine ecosystems including: (1) the range of neontological methods, observations and their challenges; and (2) the complementary information that palaeontologists can contribution to this global challenge. I advocate that, in collaborations with other disciplines, we should aim for a strong visibility of our field and the knowledge it can provide for policy relevant assessments of the future.     

The ridiculous notion of assessing ecological health and identifying the useful concepts underneath

The notion that the ecological health of the environment can be assessed is a ridiculous notion in a scientific context because there can be no objective definition of ‘health’ or method for defining degrees of health. Ecological health is a value judgement. A potentially useful concept embedded within the notion of ecological health is that environmental monitoring programs need to adopt a more holistic, ecosystems approach than has been used hitherto. In this paper, I outline a framework for ecosystem monitoring and discuss some of the variables that might be incorporated to assess ecosystem structure and processes. The interpretation of the data produced by ecosystem monitoring programs is problematic. Defining control or reference sites is virtually impossible; data can only be assessed with reference to extant ecosystems or to past situations.     

Q’eqchi’ Maya healers’ traditional knowledge in prioritizing conservation of medicinal plants: culturally relative conservation in sustaining traditional holistic health promotion

This ethnobotanical study in the spirit of transdisciplinarity, and in collaboration with Q’eqchi’ Maya traditional healers, compares traditional Q’eqchi’ Maya ecosystem constructs or environmental zones with scientific ecosystems. To determine which categorization method better accommodates Q’eqchi’ Maya medicinal plant diversity, we analized 26 transects representing 160 medicinal plant occurrences. Our transect array encompasses a representative sampling of Q’eqchi’ Maya medicinal plant repertoire with use values broadly distributed over 17 usage categories. With a cumulative frequency of 2,235 medicinal plants through ecological zones, we conducted one-way ANOVA on the mean number of medicinal plant species identified in transects of the two conceptual schemes being contested. Our analysis reveals the Q’eqchi Maya environmental zones are the most salient. That is, knowledge of the Q’eqchi’ Maya environmental zones improves one’s ability to predict whether there will be a high or low abundance of Q’eqchi’ Maya medicinal plant species in a particular region, whereas knowledge of scientific ecosystems does not accomplish this feat as well. This is a notable finding as it suggests that if indeed Q’eqchi’ Maya medicinal plant diversity is better accounted for by the zones as envisioned by the Q’eqchi’ Maya, then it should be this mode of conceptualization that should be adopted by scientists and conservationists when trying to locate and protect regional Q’eqchi’ Maya medicinal plant diversity. These efforts serve as a model internationally in the conservation of medicinal plant biodiversity supportive of culturally relative holistic health promotion.     

Direct Measurement Versus Surrogate Indicator Species for Evaluating Environmental Change and Biodiversity Loss

The enormity and complexity of problems like environmental degradation and biodiversity loss have led to the development of indicator species and other surrogate approaches to track changes in environments and/or in biodiversity. Under these approaches particular species or groups of species are used as proxies for other biota, particular environmental conditions, or for environmental change. The indicator species approach contrasts with a direct measurement approach in which the focus is on a single entity or a highly targeted subset of entities in a given ecosystem but no surrogacy relationships with unmeasured entities are assumed. Here, we present a broad philosophical discussion of the indicator species and direct measurement approaches because their relative advantages and disadvantages are not well understood by many researchers, resource managers and policy makers. A goal of the direct measurement approach is to demonstrate a causal relationship between key attributes of the target ecosystem system (for example, particular environmental conditions) and the entities selected for measurement. The key steps in the approach are based on the fundamental scientific principles of hypothesis testing and associated direct measurement that drive research activities, management activities and monitoring programs. The direct measurement approach is based on four critical assumptions:(1) the ‘right’ entities to measure have been selected, (2) these entities are well known, (3) there is sufficient understanding about key ecological processes and (4) the entities selected can be accurately measured. The direct measurement approach is reductionist and many elements of the biota, many biotic processes and environmental factors must be ignored because of practical considerations. The steps in applying the indicator species approach are broadly similar to the direct measurement approach, except surrogacy relationships also must be quantified between a supposed indicator species or indicator group and the factors for which it is purported to be a proxy. Such quantification needs to occur via: (1) determining the taxonomic, spatial and temporal bounds for which a surrogacy relationship does and does not hold. That is, the extent of transferability of a given surrogate such as an indicator species to other biotic groups, to landscapes, ecosystems, environmental circumstances or over time in the same location can be determined; and (2) determining the ecological mechanisms underpinning a surrogacy relationship (for example, through fundamental studies of community structure). Very few studies have rigorously addressed these two tasks, despite the extremely widespread use of the indicator species approach and similar kinds of surrogate schemes in virtually all fields of environmental, resource and conservation management. We argue that this has the potential to create significant problems; thus, the use of an indicator species approach needs to be better justified. Attempts to quantify surrogacy relationships may reveal that, in some circumstances, the alternative of direct measurement of particular entities of environmental or conservation interest will be the best option.     

生态系统退化程度诊断：生态恢复的基础与前提

 生态系统退化程度诊断是进行生态恢复与重建的基础和前提。然而目前的生态系统化程度诊断大多停留在定性的水平,如何对退化生态系统的退化程度进行定量的诊断就成为恢复生态学与生态恢复实践所面临的一个迫切且十分关键的问题。在综述前人研究的基础上,比较系统地论述了生态系统退化程度诊断的一系列问题：绘制了描述生态系统退化程度的概念模型;认为在实践中退化程度诊断的参照系统可以选择相应的受人类或自然干扰程度比较轻的“自然生态系统”;归纳了生态系统退化程度诊断的生物途径、生境途径、生态过程途径、生态系统功能/服务途径、景观途径;把诊断方法分为单途径单因子诊断法、单途径多因子诊断法、多途径综合诊断法;分析了生态系统退化程度诊断的可能指标（体系）;给出了生态系统退化程度诊断的策略与流程,并对生态系统退化程度诊断及生态恢复过程中应注意的事项进行了讨论。建议我国加强典型生态系统退化程度的综合诊断研究。     

Using a genetic algorithm to drive a microbial ecosystem in a desirable direction

The functioning of natural microbial ecosystems is influenced by various biotic and abiotic conditions. The careful experimental manipulation of environmental conditions can drive microbial ecosystems toward exhibiting desirable types of functionality. Such manipulations can be systematically approached by viewing them as a combinatorial optimization problem, in which the optimal configuration of environmental conditions is sought. Such an effort requires a sound optimization technique. Genetic algorithms are a class of optimization methods that should be suitable for such a task because they can deal with multiple interacting variables and with experimental noise and because they do not require an intricate understanding or modelling of the ecosystem of interest. We propose the use of genetic algorithms to drive undefined microbial ecosystems in desirable directions by combinatorially optimizing sets of environmental conditions. We tested this approach in a model system where the microbial ecosystem of a human saliva sample was manipulated in successive steps to display increasing amounts of azo dye decoloration. The results of our experiments indicated that a genetic algorithm was capable of optimizing ecosystem function by manipulating the presence or absence of a set of 10 chemical supplements. Genetic algorithms hold promise for use as a tool in environmental microbiology for the efficient control of the functioning of natural and undefined microbial ecosystems.     

Balancing animal research with animal well-being: establishment of goals and harmonization of approaches

A resource is provided for the creation of an institutional program that balances the scientific mission of an institution with the well-being of the animals used in support of the research. The concept of harmonizing scientific goals with animal well-being was first suggested in the early part of the twentieth century and later revitalized in the literature of the 1950s. Harmonization can best be achieved through the promotion of a team initiative. The team should include, at a minimum, the scientist, veterinarian, institutional animal care and use committee, and animal care staff. It is the responsibility of this animal research team to promote and balance the generation of scientifically valid data with animal well-being. The team must strive to minimize or eliminate non-protocol variables that could adversely affect the validity and repeatability of the experimental data. Good experimental design coupled with excellent communication between team members can often minimize or eliminate many variables and result in both better science and animal well-being. To ensure the scientific validity of experimental data, scientists must be aware of the complex nature of the environment in which their animals are maintained. To ensure repeatablity of an experiment, scientists must document and publish both the inanimate and social environments in which their animals are housed. Better documentation of environmental variables and their correlation with experimental results will promote critical knowledge about the relationships between an animal's environment, its well-being, and science.     

Phylogenetic and functional metagenomic profiling for assessing microbial biodiversity in environmental monitoring

Decisions guiding environmental management need to be based on a broad and comprehensive understanding of the biodiversity and functional capability within ecosystems. Microbes are of particular importance since they drive biogeochemical cycles, being both producers and decomposers. Their quick and direct responses to changes in environmental conditions modulate the ecosystem accordingly, thus providing a sensitive readout. Here we have used direct sequencing of total DNA from water samples to compare the microbial communities of two distinct coastal regions exposed to different anthropogenic pressures: the highly polluted Port of Genoa and the protected area of Montecristo Island in the Mediterranean Sea. Analysis of the metagenomes revealed significant differences in both microbial diversity and abundance between the two areas, reflecting their distinct ecological habitats and anthropogenic stress conditions. Our results indicate that the combination of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and bioinformatics tools presents a new approach to monitor the diversity and the ecological status of aquatic ecosystems. Integration of metagenomics into environmental monitoring campaigns should enable the impact of the anthropogenic pressure on microbial biodiversity in various ecosystems to be better assessed and also predicted.     

稳定性同位素技术与Keeling曲线法在陆地生态系统碳/水交换研究中的应用

稳定性同位素技术和Keeling曲线法是现代生态学研究的重要手段和方法之一。稳定性同位素能够整合生态系统复杂的生物学、生态学和生物地球化学过程在时间和空间尺度上对环境变化的响应。Keeling曲线法是以生物过程前后物质平衡理论为基础,将CO₂或H₂O的同位素组成(δD、δ¹³C或δ¹⁸O)与其对应浓度测量结合起来,将生态系统净碳通量区分为光合固定和呼吸释放通量,或将整个生态系统水分蒸散区分为植物蒸腾和土壤蒸发。在全球尺度上,稳定性同位素技术、Keeling曲线法与全球尺度陆地生态系统模型相结合,还可区分陆地生态系统和海洋生态系统对全球碳通量的贡献以及不同植被类型(C₃或C₄)在全球CO₂同化量中所占的比例。然而,生态系统的异质性使得稳定性同位素技术和Keeling曲线法从冠层尺度外推到生态系统、区域或全球尺度时存在有一定程度的不确定性。此外,取样时间、地点的选取也会影响最终的研究结果。尽管如此,随着分析手段的不断精确和研究方法的日趋完善,稳定性同位素技术和Keeling曲线法与其它测量方法(如微气象法)的有机结合将成为未来陆地生态系统碳/水交换研究的重要手段和方法之一。     

Global change pressures on soils from land use and management

Soils are subject to varying degrees of direct or indirect human disturbance, constituting a major global change driver. Factoring out natural from direct and indirect human influence is not always straightforward, but some human activities have clear impacts. These include land‐use change, land management and land degradation (erosion, compaction, sealing and salinization). The intensity of land use also exerts a great impact on soils, and soils are also subject to indirect impacts arising from human activity, such as acid deposition (sulphur and nitrogen) and heavy metal pollution. In this critical review, we report the state‐of‐the‐art understanding of these global change pressures on soils, identify knowledge gaps and research challenges and highlight actions and policies to minimize adverse environmental impacts arising from these global change drivers. Soils are central to considerations of what constitutes sustainable intensification. Therefore, ensuring that vulnerable and high environmental value soils are considered when protecting important habitats and ecosystems, will help to reduce the pressure on land from global change drivers. To ensure that soils are protected as part of wider environmental efforts, a global soil resilience programme should be considered, to monitor, recover or sustain soil fertility and function, and to enhance the ecosystem services provided by soils. Soils cannot, and should not, be considered in isolation of the ecosystems that they underpin and vice versa. The role of soils in supporting ecosystems and natural capital needs greater recognition. The lasting legacy of the International Year of Soils in 2015 should be to put soils at the centre of policy supporting environmental protection and sustainable development.     

Use of in vivo genetic toxicity data for risk assessment

Mutagenicity studies have been used to identify specific agents as potential carconogens or other human health hazards; however, they have been used minimally for risk assessment or in determining permissible levels of human exposure. The poor predictive value of in vitro mutagenesis tests for carcinogenic activity and a lack of mechanistic understanding of the roles of mutagens in the induction of specific cancers have made these tests unattractive for the purpose of risk assessment. However, the limited resources available for carcinogen testing and large number of chemicals which need to be evaluated necessitate the incorporation of more efficient methods into the evaluation process. In vivo genetic toxicity testing can be recommended for this purpose because in vivo assays incorporate the metabolic activation pathways that are relevant to humans. We propose the use of a multiple end-point in vivo comprehensive testing protocol (CTP) using rodents. Studies using sub-acute exposure to low levels of test agents by routes consistent with human exposure can be a useful adjunct to methods currently used to provide data for risk assessment. Evaluations can include metabolic and pharmacokinetic endpoints, in addition to genetic toxicity studies, in order to provide a comprehensive examination of the mechanism of toxicity of the agent. A parallelogram approach can be used to estimate effects in non-accessible human tissues by using data from accessible human tissues and analogous tissues in animals. A categorical risk assessment procedure can be used which would consider, in order of priority, genetic damage in man, genetic damage in animals that is highly relevant to disease outcome (mutation, chromosome damage), and data from animals that is of less certain relevance to disease. Action levels of environmental exposure would be determined based on the lowest observed effect levels or the highest observed no effect levels, using sub-acute low level exposure studies in rodents. As an example, the known genotoxic effects of benzene exposure at low levels in man and animals are discussed. The lowest observed genotoxic effects were observed at about 1–10 parts per million for man and 0.04–0.1 parts per million in subacute animal studies. If genetic toxicity is to achieve a prominent role in evaluating carcinogens and characterizing germ-cell mutagens, minimal testing requirements must be established to ascertain the risk associated with environmental mutagen exposure. The use of the in vivo approach described here should provide the information needed to meet this goal. In addition, it should allow truly epigenetic or non-genotoxic carcinogens to be distinguished from the genotoxic carcinogens that are not detected by in vitro methods.     

New insights into animal pathogenic oomycetes

Many species of oomycetes cause economic and environmental damage owing to their ability to infect a range of plants and animals. Although research on plant pathogenic oomycetes has flourished in recent years, the animal pathogenic oomycetes have received less attention. This is unfortunate because several species are responsible for devastating diseases in aquaculture and natural ecosystems and proper treatments are not available or are limited. Therefore, momentum is being created to revive research into this neglected group of pathogens. Here, we discuss the latest developments in our current understanding of the biology, host-pathogen interactions and environmental and economical impact of the animal pathogenic oomycetes and review the recent advances in this emerging field.     

Implementing the Precautionary Principle: Rigorous Science and Solid Ethics

The Precautionary Principle came out of European efforts to clean-up and protect marine ecosystems in the 1980s. Since then, several North American activities have elaborated on this approach in U.S. environmental programs. Unfortunately, US organizations and agencies have not developed strategies and guidelines for implementing the Precautionary Principle in either statutory or voluntary environmental programs. Recent interest in this approach from some members of the scientific, non-profit, and regulatory communities highlights the need to understand the history and conceptual basis of the Precautionary Principle. In this paper we address several of these issues. First, we summarize the pertinent US history of the Precautionary Principle. Next, we describe the scientific framework for the principle. Finally, we make the case that this provides unique opportunities for scientists to obtain meaning in their work by fulfilling what has been called the new Social Contract.     

The scientific basis of bioassays

The ultimate goal of ecotoxicological testing is to predict ecological effects of chemicals and other stressors. Since damage should be avoided rather than corrected after it occurs, the predictive value of such tests is crucial. A modest base of evidence shows that, in some cases, extrapolations from bioassays on one species to another species are reasonably accurate and, in other cases, misleading. Extrapolations from laboratory bioassays to response in natural systems at the population level are effective if the environmental realism of the bioassay is sufficiently high. When laboratory systems are poor simulations of natural systems, gross extrapolation errors may result. The problem of extrapolating among levels of biological organization has not been given the serious attention it deserves, and currently used methodologies have been chosen for reasons other than scientific validity. As the level of biological organization increases, new properties are added (e.g., nutrient cycling, energy transfer) that are not readily apparent at the lower levels. The measured responses (or end points) will not be the same at all levels of biological organization, making the validation of predictions difficult. Evidence indicates that responses of ecologically complex laboratory systems correspond to predicted and documented patterns in stressed ecosystems. The difficulties of improving the ecological evidence used to predict adverse effects are not insurmountable since the essence of predictive capability is the determination of effects thresholds at all levels of organization. The dilemma between basing predictive schemes on either traditional or holistic methods can only be solved by facing scientific and ethical questions regarding the adequacy of evidence used to make decisions of environmental protection.