bioindicator
Living pollution detector
A bioindicator is an organism whose presence, absence, or condition reveals information about environmental quality.
Certain lichens indicate air pollution levels; mayfly larvae signal water purity.
Scientists monitor bioindicator species to detect contamination or ecosystem stress that chemical tests might miss: Frogs serve as bioindicators because their permeable skin absorbs pollutants.
Symbiotic rock dweller
- amphibianDual-habitat cold-blooded vertebrate
- musselEdible two-shelled mollusk
- algaePrimitive aquatic photosynthesizers
- mayflyShort-lived winged insect
stonefly · caddisfly · diatom · earthworm · bee · coral · moss · fern
Observing natural systems systematically
- sentinelGuard who monitors
- early-warningAdvance notification of danger
- ecosystem healthCondition of interconnected natural systems
- water qualityCondition of H2O supply
air quality · sampling · field survey · detection · trend analysis · control group · data collection · observation
Point of beginning
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- responseAnswer to stimulus
stressor · exposure · bioassay · biomarker · stress response · mortality rate · reproductive success · behavioral change
Unwelcome substances in something pure
- heavy metalsDense metallic environmental contaminants
- toxicityCapacity to cause harm
- pollutantsHarmful environmental substances
- acid rainPolluted atmospheric moisture falling
eutrophication · pesticide residue · industrial waste · oil spill · bioaccumulation · chemical analysis · environmental impact · particulates
Ample supply, overflowing
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
- ecological balanceStable ecosystem state
- keystone speciesOutsized ecological impact organism
- native speciesOrganisms originating in a region
lichen
Symbiotic rock dweller
- amphibianDual-habitat cold-blooded vertebrate
- musselEdible two-shelled mollusk
- algaePrimitive aquatic photosynthesizers
mayfly · stonefly · caddisfly · diatom · earthworm · bee · coral · moss · fern · salmon
environmental monitoring
Observing natural systems systematically
- sentinelGuard who monitors
- early-warningAdvance notification of danger
- ecosystem healthCondition of interconnected natural systems
water quality · air quality · sampling · field survey · detection · trend analysis · control group · data collection · observation
threshold
Point of beginning
- susceptibilityLiability to influence
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
response · stressor · exposure · bioassay · biomarker · stress response · mortality rate · reproductive success · behavioral change · dose-response
contaminants
Unwelcome substances in something pure
- heavy metalsDense metallic environmental contaminants
- toxicityCapacity to cause harm
- pollutantsHarmful environmental substances
acid rain · eutrophication · pesticide residue · industrial waste · oil spill · bioaccumulation · chemical analysis · environmental impact · particulates · runoff
abundance
Ample supply, overflowing
- food webInterconnected predator-prey relationships
- ecological balanceStable ecosystem state
- keystone speciesOutsized ecological impact organism
bioindicatorweather station
Atmospheric conditions measurement facility
bioindicatorspectrometer
Measures electromagnetic radiation properties