ecosystem services cease to be perceived as free and limitless, and their full value is taken into account.â (MEA 2005, http://www.millenniumassessment.org) ...
From P ickle Jars to Ecosystem Services W ho Cares about W ater Fleas Anyw ay? Wayne R. Munns, Jr. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research & Development Narragansett, RI 14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
A Real Pickle
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Someone Has to Do It...
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Rivers Burning
Courtesy of Cleveland Press Collection Cleveland State University Library
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Early Aquatic Toxicology Focused on acute mortality of chemicals to fish & water fleas Isolated groups of test organisms, usually performed in the laboratory as very simple analogs of natural systems Beginnings of “classical aquatic toxicology”
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Classical Aquatic Toxicology
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With Limitations
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Beyond Acute Toxicity Sublethal & other subtle effects Mechanisms of action Stressor interactions Predictive methodologies Complex experimental designs Structured problem analysis schemes (e.g., ecological risk assessment, life-cycle analysis)
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Moving Toward Complex Problems Human populations continue to expand Risks of chemicals no longer considered most important threat All against a backdrop of global change
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
First of Two Developments Growing perception that populations are a fundamental unit for environmental protection Policy that protecting against effects at level of the organism will protect populations, communities & whole ecosystems is being questioned Incorporation of ecological concepts and methods into ecological risk assessment
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Risk to Populations Population dynamics determined by births and deaths (plus migration), and not by either vital rate in isolation Application of experimental & survey designs, and models to measure, extrapolate and predict population-level consequences
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Moving Toward Standardization Pellston workshop in Denmark LEMTOX workshop in Germany Risk Assessment Forum workshop this month
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Second Development Humans are the deciders “Even today’s technology and knowledge can reduce considerably the human impact on ecosystems. They are unlikely to be deployed fully, however, until ecosystem services cease to be perceived as free and limitless, and their full value is taken into account.” (MEA 2005, http://www.millenniumassessment.org)
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Human Values
Ecosystem Services – the products of ecological functions or processes that directly or indirectly contribute to human well-being, or have the potential to do so in the future
Human Well-being – the condition of individuals, groups & society in terms of health, wealth, livelihood, social & spiritual fulfillment, etc. 14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Some Ecosystem Services Direct Uses:
Water quality/supply Food supply Waste treatment Pest control Flood control Recreation
Nonuse Values:
Existence values (e.g., biodiversity) Cultural, spiritual 14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine
Indirect Uses:
Gas regulation Climate regulation Wildlife support Genetic diversity Pollination Nutrient cycling Soil fertility Carbon sequestration
Starting to Take Root Consortia of NGOs, academia & government Pellston Workshop in Pensacola Major research initiative by U.S. EPA
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Implications for SETAC?
Continue to expand research focus: – assessment endpoints at population, community & ecosystem levels – nonchemical stressors, in isolation & combination in complex landscapes
Focus on endpoints more directly linked to human well-being Increase emphasis on multidisciplinary (ultimately transdisciplinary) approaches
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Enjoy
14th Annual Meeting Bar Harbor, Maine