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Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans
Published on: April 28, 2023
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Resilience in ecotoxicology: Toward a multiple equilibrium concept.
Mirco Bundschuh1, Ralf Schulz2, Ralf B Schäfer2
1Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
|May 12, 2017
Summary
This study clarifies two resilience concepts in ecotoxicology: engineering resilience (rebound) and ecological resilience (regime shifts). Both are vital for understanding chemical stress impacts on ecosystems and managing environmental risks.
Area of Science:
- Ecotoxicology
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Resilience describes stress-response patterns across disciplines.
- Engineering resilience focuses on recovery rate after disturbances.
- Ecological resilience describes systemic reorganization into a new state post-disturbance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate and discuss the applications of engineering and ecological resilience in ecotoxicology.
- To highlight the profound differences in implications and uses of these two resilience concepts.
- To introduce quantitative methods for assessing ecosystem regime shifts due to chemical stress.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of engineering and ecological resilience definitions.
- Discussion of the prevailing use of engineering resilience in ecotoxicology.
- Presentation of quantitative methods for regime shift assessment.
Main Results:
- Both engineering resilience (rebound) and ecological resilience (systemic change) are appropriate in ecotoxicology.
- Engineering resilience is the prevailing view for chemical stress, focusing on recovery rates.
- Ecological resilience offers a framework for understanding systemic shifts in response to chemical stressors.
Conclusions:
- Distinguishing between engineering and ecological resilience provides mechanistic insights into ecotoxicological responses.
- Quantitative methods can help identify impending or past ecosystem regime shifts.
- These concepts have significant implications for ecotoxicological theory, policy, and risk management.
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