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On
Biological Indicators
By
Nikita Sabale BE17F05F041
supervision and that this work has not been submitted elsewhere for a
degree.
1. Introduction
2. What is Bio-Indicators?
3. Plants as Bio-Indicators
4. Animals as Bio-Indicators
5. Microbes as Bio-Indicators
6. Conclusion
7. References
Introduction
Bioindicators are organisms, such as lichens, birds and bacteria, that are used to
monitor the health of the environment. The organisms and organism associations are
monitored for changes that may indicate a problem within their ecosystem. The
changes can be chemical, physiological or behavioral. Bioindicators are relevant for
Ecological health. Ecological health can be viewed in terms of ecosystems, whereby
structural and functional characteristics are maintained. Ecological health can be
expanded to include many aspects of human health and well-being. Each organism
within an ecosystem has the ability to report on the health of its environment.
Bio indicators are used to: detect changes in the natural environment, monitor for the
presence of pollution and its effect on the ecosystem in which the organism lives,
monitor the progress of environmental cleanup and test substances, like drinking water,
for the presence of contaminants.
Specific physiological and behavioral changes in bioindicators are used to detect
changes in environmental health. The specific changes differ from organism to
organism. The use of organisms as bioindicators encompasses many areas of science.
Wildlife conservation genetics is an example of how traditional approaches can be
combined with emerging biotechnologies to improve accuracy, and to collect
information not available through conventional methods. Wildlife conservation
genetics combines traditional monitoring of wildlife populations, like raccoons, with
the scientific discipline of genetics, to gain information about the health of ecosystems.
Several biotechology – based methods use microorganisms to test environmental health.
Unlike traditional methods, biotechnology - based methods do not rely on observation
alone but set out to create specific reactions that indicate the presence of a specific
pollutant or an unwanted microorganism. In this way they are similar to traditional
chemical analysis of environmental samples.
In traditional bioassays, a bioindicator organism or organisms association are
introduced to environmental samples, such as soil or water, and researchers observe any
changes that occur as a result of exposure. These methods are based primarily on
observation to detect changes. Bioindicators can be a measure, an index of measures,
or a model that characterizes an ecosystem or one of its critical components. They are
also a method of monitoring or detecting the negative impacts that industrial activity
has on the environment. This information helps develop strategies that will prevent or
lower such effects and make industry more sustainable. The role of bioindicators in sustainable
development will help ensure that industry leaves the smallest footprint
possible on the environment.
What is Bio- indicators?
The importance and relevance of bio monitors, rather than man-made equipment, is
justified by the observation that the best indicator of the status of a species or
system is itself. Bioindicators can reveal indirect biotic effects of pollutants when
many physical or chemical measurements cannot. Through bioindicators, scientists
need to observe only the single indicating species to check on the environment
rather than monitor the whole community.
The use of a biomonitor is described as biological monitoring and is the use of the
properties of an organism to obtain information on certain aspects of the biosphere.
Bio monitoring of air pollutants can be passive or active. Passive methods observe
plants growing naturally within the area of interest. Active methods detect the
presence of air pollutants by placing test plants of known response and genotype
into the study area.
Lichens are organisms comprising both fungi and algae. They are found
on rocks and tree trunks, and they respond to environmental changes in
forests, including changes in forest structure – conservation biology, air
quality, and climate. The disappearance of lichens in a forest may
indicate environmental stresses, such as high levels of sulfur dioxide,
sulfur-based pollutants, and nitrogen oxides. The composition and total
biomass of algal species in aquatic systems serve as an important metric
for organic water pollution and nutrient loading such as nitrogen and
phosphorus. There are genetically engineered organisms that can
respond to toxicity levels in the environment; e.g., a type of genetically
engineered grass that grows a different colour if there are toxins in the
soil.
Animals as Bio-Indicators
Chemical pollutants
Microbial Prospecting for oil and gas (MPOG) is often used to identify
prospective areas for oil and gas occurrences. In many cases oil and gas
is known to seep toward the surface as a hydrocarbon reservoir will
usually leak or have leaked towards the surface through buoyancy forces
overcoming sealing pressures. These hydrocarbons can alter the
chemical and microbial occurrences found in the near surface soils or
can be picked up directly. Techniques used for MPOG include DNA
analysis, simple bug counts after culturing a soil sample in a
hydrocarbon based medium or by looking at the consumption of
hydrocarbon gases in a culture cell.
Conclusion
References:
www.google.com
www.wikipedia.org