... ofthe other chapters (chapters to 15) by presenting: A discussion ofthe selection ofecological indicators for assessment ofecosystemhealth A classification of indicators The definition of ... degradation of exergy is a consequence ofthe development of ecosystems from the early to the mature state, but APPLICATION OF INDICATORS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OFECOSYSTEMHEALTH as ecosystems cannot ... abundance vs the logarithm ofthe sequence of species ordered in a decreasing order The slope ofthe straight line obtained allows the valuation ofthe pollution grade The higher the slope is, the higher...
... discussion ofthe selection ofecological indicators for assessment ofecosystemhealth A classification of indicators The definition of some important holistic indicators An overview of all the applied ... Assessment Using Ecological Model Method (EMM) 5.3.2.2.1 The Analysis of Lake Ecosystem Structure 5.3.2.2.2 The Establishment of a Lake Ecological Model 5.3.2.2.3 The Calibration oftheEcological ... 1.1 The Role ofEcosystemHealth Assessment in Environmental Management 1.2 The Conceptual Flow in This Volume References Chapter Application of Indicators for the Assessment ofEcosystem Health...
... represents a conceptual diagram and theecological network for a model ofthe nitrogen cycle The complexity oftheecological network in Figure 2.1 cannot be used as ecological indicator because the real ... Curves106 The K-dominance curve is the representation ofthe accumulated percentage of abundance vs the logarithm ofthe sequence of species ordered in a decreasing order The slope ofthe straight ... through the system, therefore the exergy stored in theecosystem could be a reasonable indicator ofthe structure Kay (1991) presents the fundamental hypothesis that ecosystems will organize themselves...
... pollution 3.5 WAS THEUSEOFTHE SELECTED INDICATORS SATISFACTORY IN THE TWO CASE STUDIES? In order to compare the efficiencies oftheecological indicators utilized in each ofthe case studies, ... measure the enrichment ofthe species, such as the Margalef s one, which are, in essence, a measurement in the number of species in a defined sampling unit Models ofthe abundance of species, as the ... case of specific exergy, the influence of such biomass fluctuations is very much diluted, as the factors related to the quality ofthe biomass take precedence In this sense, the loss ofthe taxonomic...
... Chao It can therefore be applied to the calculation ofecologicalhealth indicators 5.3.2.2.4 The Calculation ofEcosystemHealth Indicators Theecosystemhealth indicators used in the model include ... for the restoration ofecosystemhealth and the maintenance of their ecological service functions Since the mid-1980s, studies on lake ecosystemhealth have begun to attract the attention of environmentalists ... chapter for the assessment of lake ecosystemhealthThe combinations ofthe three methods can be applied for the relative and absolute diagnosis as well as the prediction of lake ecosystem health...
... analyze the model results, it is necessary to useecological indicators that will allow a comparison ofthehealthoftheecosystem from several scenario analyses Historically, thehealthof an ecosystem ... ofthe rapid degradation of environmental conditions and of an increase in the eutrophication of this ecosystemThe decomposition of Ulva in summer (at temperatures of 25 to 30 C) produces the ... one-half ofthe total surface area and for one fourth ofthe water volume ofthe lagoon The bottom is flat and the sediment is composed of typical alluvial mud with a high clay and silt content in the...
... translation of Darwin’s theory to thermodynamics by theuseof exergy As an ecosystem develops, its biomass increases, and when all the inorganic matter is used to build biomass, a reallocation ofthe ... on the application of thermodynamic indicators for the assessment ofecosystemhealth in environmental management can probably be derived from these results Figure 7.1 gives an example ofthe ... exergy and the other three thermodynamic indicators together cover the properties normally associated with ecosystemhealth (Costanza, 1992) It is probably not possible to assess thehealthof such...
... is influenced by the work ofthe SCOR/IOC Working Group 119, while prepared prior to the conclusion ofthe working group We see the key aspects ofecosystemhealth as a question of maintaining ... indicators and evaluating the combination of indicators that may best be used to evaluate thehealthof marine ecosystems Indeed, the key aspects of using indicators for management of ecosystems is centered ... down the food web’’ in the North Atlantic as demonstrated by the trend in the average trophic level ofthe catches during the second half ofthe twentieth century the North Atlantic takes the...
... rises as does the emergy flow through the forest On the other hand, the exergy ofthe forest is likely to decrease because ofthe loss of biomass density and ofthe consequent loss of biodiversity ... allow comparison ofthe environmental sustainability of processes when we want to consider both theuseof resources and the global effects ofthe outputs of a process Theuseof emergy and exergy, ... 50.0 values of a higher order of magnitude than in any ofthe other systems used for comparison: man and nature are acting in synergy to enhance the performance oftheecosystemThe fact that...
... called the ‘‘environment.’’ The thermostat maintains the constancy of temperature and pressure within the environment The fulfillment ofthe second equality is then determined by a consistency ofthe ... about the quality of agricultural areas, from where the crops come from From the physical point of view, the environmental degradation can be identified with theconceptof entropy (often used ... insufficient for these conditions, because the estimation of impact of agroecosystems on the environment was not foreseen The problem arises of how to estimate agriculture pressure and the degree of environmental...
... concerning the structural patterns of these ecosystems Investigating the storage capacities ofthe two ecosystems, the biomass and the intrabiotic nutrients were used as indicators They are capable of ... factor ofthe temperature regulationof ecosystems The metabolic efficiency (respiration/biomass) ofthe forest was much higher than the efficiency ofthe arable land ecosystem This elucidates the ... 1999) The percentage of transpiration from the total evapotranspiration loss was 63% in the case ofthe forest ecosystem and 34% in the case ofthe field This signals the distinct significance of...
... representative ofthe typical series of watersheds located along the same side ofthe northern Apennines ridge The watershed is approximately 174.63 km2, and is located on the Emilian side ofthe northern ... ofthe interactions between adjacent ecological systems,’’ (di Castri et al., 1988) Therefore the nature of a habitat’s edge is not just a property of a specific habitat, but is the outcome of ... Liebermann, 1994) In the past, this watershed was almost fully covered by ancient forests, still present during the ducat of Parma at the end ofthe eighteenth century Around the end ofthe nineteenth...
... brief conceptual framework ofthe emergy synthesis theory (Odum, 1996) and systems ecology (Odum, 1983) that form the basis for understandingecological systems within the context ofecosystemhealth ... overall ecosystemhealth with alterations of components or elimination of trophic levels within the system 14.7 RESTORING ECOSYSTEMHEALTH Restoration of ecosystems falls within the sphere ofecological ... illustrates theconceptof a net benefit from ecological restoration The difference between the upper and lower lines in the graph is the benefit of restoration If the benefit is divided by the costs of...
... observation or even the theoretical calculation — and thus quantification — ofthe totality ofthe actual consequences of human activities on ecosystems Since neither the carrying capacity nor the critical ... produced in the same production chain, converge into a further new process for the production of a product (P), both of them will contribute to the MI ofthe product P (i.e., their ecological ... potentially leads to the possible underestimation oftheecological impacts connected with theuseof specific substances which may have a great impact on the environment (e.g., because of their ecotoxicity),...
... productivities of most of other elements ofthe Ythan ecosystem are probably similar now to those in the pre-eutrophic period because ofthe nonmonotonic (hump-backed) nature of their response ... MEASURES OFECOSYSTEMHEALTH A number of measures ofecosystemhealth have been made on the Ythan, partly in response to an awareness ofthe nutrient enrichment issue, but also because agencies ... effect on the score total than biological changes 16.5.4 Ecosystem Indicators A number of indicators ofecosystemhealth derive from ecological and ecosystem theory and several of these have...
... account ofthe varieties of institutional form and the nature ofthe policy area, but the unique features ofthe American system compound the problem and beg the question ofthe significance ofthe ... particularly useful to conceive ofthe American way ofregulation as a permanent “other” that stands only as a foil for the rest ofthe world As one observer framed the contemporary concern for regulation ... actions ofthe players The most important implication of describing regulation as a network is that the administrative agency is not the director or producer ofthe play, but an actor on the same...
... communications they may be unable to verify that the person on the other end ofthe electronic medium is truly the patient; likewise, the patient may not be able to verify that a physician is on the other ... opinion How these ethical standards relate to the proper useof social media by physicians is explored further in the next section Section Four Guidelines for theAppropriateUseof Social Media ... maintain a standard of professionalism in all social media and social networking interactions The FSMB is grateful for the efforts ofthe members ofthe Special Committee on Ethics and Professionalism...
... [32,33] A number of studies point to the importance ofthe sequences flanking the PPREs for maintaining the optimal conformation ofthe PPAR-RXR heterodimers on the PPREs [34,35] These flanking ... and integrin-linked kinase are target genes of PPARβ The upregulation of these genes together with the down -regulation of PTEN led to an increase of Akt1 activity in keratinocytes and suppressed ... the group of synthetic ligands, fibrates are hypolipidaemic drugs used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia Most of them preferentially activate PPARα Others are industrial compounds [37] The insulin-sensitizing...
... [3] The rate of radiography performed by doctors of chiropractic in the United States has decreased since the release ofthe 1998 Job Analysis of Chiropractic from the National Board of Chiropractic ... An important contributor to the high cost is theuseof radiography for assessing patients with acute LBP In the United States, the annual cost of radiography ofthe low back was estimated at ... procedures and therapeutic exercise was the management regimen used in these patients The course of chiropractic care was nine weeks for the 54-year old female patient and four weeks for the 55-year...