Healthy Animals, Healthy Ecosystems

The survival of humans as a species is intimately linked to the well-being of ecosystems and the resources they provide. The well-being of ecosystems depends, in turn, on minimizing the damaging impacts of human activities. Irrespective of the kinds of habitats we choose to protect or restore, we ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in ecology and the environment 2005-06, Vol.3 (5), p.251-258
Main Authors: Depledge, Michael H., Galloway, Tamara S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological markers
Chemical hazards
Contaminants
Ecological sustainability
Ecosystems
Ecotoxicology
Human ecology
Pesticides
Radiation damage
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Summary:The survival of humans as a species is intimately linked to the well-being of ecosystems and the resources they provide. The well-being of ecosystems depends, in turn, on minimizing the damaging impacts of human activities. Irrespective of the kinds of habitats we choose to protect or restore, we need to understand how ecosystems, and the organisms that inhabit them, respond to chemicals and radiation exposure. Recent technological advances in molecular biology and analytical science have allowed the development of rapid, robust, and sensitive diagnostic tests (biomarkers) that can be used to monitor exposure to, and the effects of, pollution. For the first time, we are able to make health assessments of individual organisms in much the same way that we evaluate human health. Here, we discuss how to best use this capability to ensure that pollution does not threaten the sustainability of our ecosystems and cause adverse effects in human and wildlife populations.
ISSN:1540-9295
1540-9309
DOI:10.1890/1540-9295(2005)003[0251:HAHE]2.0.CO;2