Helena Joyce
Biological pollution, or biotic pollution, is a term used in invasion biology to describe the negative effects of non-native species on an ecosystem. The concept of biotic pollution is closely related to the idea of biological invasion, where non-indigenous species (NIS) are introduced to a specific area, impacting native communities, habitats, and ecosystem functioning. The magnitude of biotic pollution can be quantified using indices such as the Biotic Index, which assigns scores to individual species based on their sensitivity or tolerance to pollution. These indices help assess the ecological condition of an ecosystem, with a high index indicating good health and the presence of sensitive species, while a low index suggests pollution dominated by tolerant species. Biotic pollution can have adverse effects on nature conservation areas, economic activities, and even human health. Climate change, urbanization, and agricultural practices further exacerbate the impacts of biotic pollution, creating complex challenges for the environment and the species that depend on it.
Characteristics of Biotic Pollution
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Biological pollution or biopollution refers to the invasion of an ecosystem by an alien species. |
| Impact | Biotic pollution can cause a decline in the naturalness of nature conservation areas, adverse economic consequences, and impacts on human health. |
| Quantification | The biopollution level (BPL) is a quantitative measure of the magnitude of biological invasion, ranging from "no impact" (BPL=0) to "strong" (BPL=3). |
| Calculation | The calculation involves assessing the abundance and distribution range of a non-indigenous species (NIS) in a specific area. Abundance can be ranked as "low", "moderate", or "high", and distribution can be scored based on the number of localities. |
| Application | The method can be applied to a single species or multiple species in aquatic ecosystems and is being tested for terrestrial environments. |
| Comparison | BINPAS (a free online service) translates data on invasive species impacts into uniform biopollution measurement units, enabling comparisons between different regions and taxonomic groups at different time intervals. |
| Data Quality | The impact magnitude assessment is based on three levels of confidence (low, medium, and high) depending on the quality of available data. |
| Biotic Index | The Biotic Index is a measure of the ecological condition of an ecosystem with respect to pollution levels. Sensitive species indicate a healthy ecosystem, while tolerant species indicate pollution. |
| Examples | Examples include the invasion of non-native species into aquatic ecosystems, such as fly larvae, rat-tailed maggots, and cranefly larvae, which can survive in heavily polluted water. |
| Climate Change | Biotic pollution interacts with climate change, exacerbating the loss of natural habitats and making species more sensitive to environmental changes. |
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What You'll Learn
- Biotic Indices: Quantification attributes used to denote the ecological condition of an ecosystem with respect to pollution levels
- Biological pollution impacts: The effects of biotic pollution on nature conservation areas, economic consequences, and human health
- Aquatic ecosystems: The biopollution level in aquatic ecosystems can be quantified using the AMBI (AZTI's Marine Biotic Index)
- Climate change: Biotic changes due to climate change, including shifts in species distributions and the impact of pathogens
- Invasive species: The impact of invasive species on native communities, habitats, and ecosystem functioning
Biotic Indices: Quantification attributes used to denote the ecological condition of an ecosystem with respect to pollution levels
Biotic indices are quantification attributes used to denote the ecological condition of an ecosystem with respect to pollution levels. They are a valuable means to evaluate and monitor the impact of pollution on aquatic ecosystems, aiding in conservation efforts and guiding water management strategies. The biotic index values can be simple or weighted averages of tolerance values assigned to species. These values are often assigned based on expert knowledge and observations of species distributions across known organic pollution gradients, with lower tolerance values assigned to species sensitive to pollution and higher values assigned to more tolerant species.
The original biotic indices were based on species' tolerance of reduced oxygen levels associated with organic pollution. A high biotic index indicates good ecological health, with sensitive species present, while a low index signifies pollution dominated by tolerant species. For example, the presence of stonefly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, and water crowfoot indicates good water quality as they are sensitive to pollution and require clean, well-oxygenated water. On the other hand, fly larvae and some midge larvae can survive in heavily polluted water with low oxygen levels.
The Trent Biotic Index, developed in 1964, was one of the earliest forms of the biotic index. It was restricted to six groups of key organisms and assigned scores to individual taxa based on their responses to certain pollutants. The Sludge Biotic Index (SBI) is another example of an objective index based on the protistan community used to monitor activated-sludge plant performance.
Biotic indices are useful for assessing the ecological status of marine and transitional waters, as seen with the AMBI (AZTI's Marine Biotic Index), which classifies species into five ecological groups based on their sensitivity to environmental stress. However, it is important to note that species tolerances can vary across environments, and biotic indices measure just one aspect of ecological condition.
Biological indicators or biotas are also used to detect changes in ecosystems due to pollution and can help identify negative or positive effects. For instance, zooplankton plays a key role in assessing the level of contamination in aquatic ecosystems, while the production of certain enzymes can indicate the degree of ecosystem depletion due to pollutants like mercury and cyanide. The biopollution level (BPL) is a quantitative measure of the magnitude of biological invasion impact, providing a standard and repeatable way to quantify impacts and compare different regions and taxonomic groups.
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Biological pollution impacts: The effects of biotic pollution on nature conservation areas, economic consequences, and human health
Biological pollution, or biotic pollution, is the impact of human activity on the quality of aquatic and terrestrial environments. It specifically refers to the introduction of non-native invasive species, also known as Invasive Alien Species (IAS). Biotic pollution has adverse effects on nature conservation areas, economic consequences, and human health.
Nature Conservation Areas
Biotic pollution can cause a decline in the naturalness of nature conservation areas. The introduction of IAS can lead to structural shifts in communities or biocoenosis, resulting in the dominance, replacement, or elimination of native species. This can modify the physical and chemical conditions of habitats and alter the flow of energy and organic material in ecosystems.
Economic Consequences
Biotic pollution can also have adverse economic consequences. The introduction of IAS can impact industries such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, as well as the costs associated with controlling and managing invasive species.
Human Health
Biological contaminants or allergens can trigger allergic reactions, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, allergic rhinitis, and some types of asthma. Infectious illnesses, such as influenza, measles, and chickenpox, are transmitted through the air. Molds and mildews release disease-causing toxins, which can cause health problems such as sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, shortness of breath, dizziness, lethargy, fever, and digestive issues.
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Aquatic ecosystems: The biopollution level in aquatic ecosystems can be quantified using the AMBI (AZTI's Marine Biotic Index)
The AMBI (AZTI's Marine Biotic Index) is a software-based tool that helps quantify the biopollution level in aquatic ecosystems, specifically marine environments. It is one of the most widely used indices for assessing the ecological condition of an ecosystem concerning pollution levels. The AMBI includes data on 11,952 taxa from all seas, covering various ecosystems such as estuarine, coastal, and soft-bottom communities from different parts of the world.
The AMBI was designed to assess the environmental quality of European coastal waters by classifying species into five ecological groups based on their sensitivity to environmental stress. The classification is informed by extensive literature on species from marine and transitional waters and the consensus judgment of experts. The index takes into account the relative abundances of species within each group. It has become a standard tool for evaluating the ecological status of marine and transitional waters under European directives, often used in combination with other metrics.
The AMBI provides a flexible framework for integrating pollution-related indices and macrobenthos-based indices. For example, in assessing the benthic EcoQs of Laoshan Bay, the AMBI was used alongside heavy metal pollution indices such as the geo-accumulation index (I geo) and the potential ecological risk index (RI). The AMBI values can vary based on factors such as depth and grain size, with higher values observed at shallow sites with high pelite content.
The AMBI software allows users to calculate AMBI and M-AMBI (multivariate AMBI) indices, visualize data, and export results. It is essential to follow the guidelines published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin and the instructions provided with the software. The AMBI tool has become a valuable resource for assessing the ecological quality of European coasts and estuaries, providing insights into the impacts of anthropogenic changes in water quality and long-term environmental conditions.
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Climate change: Biotic changes due to climate change, including shifts in species distributions and the impact of pathogens
Climate change is causing significant biotic changes, including shifts in species distributions and the emergence and spread of pathogens. The former is predominantly poleward, with species moving away from the equator towards the poles or higher altitudes at an average rate of around 6 km per decade. This is strongly indicative of climatic warming as the driving factor. Species in mountainous regions are particularly vulnerable, as they will eventually reach the top of their mountains and have nowhere else to go.
Studies of European and African birds, for example, indicate changes of 1,000 km or more in the boundaries of many species, a decline in their average range, and even extinction, especially for those with restricted current ranges or specialised adaptations. A broader study covering a wide range of organisms, from mammals to insects to plants, found that up to 35% of species globally may be 'committed to extinction' by 2050 due to minimal and maximal climate change scenarios.
Amphibians are also in significant decline worldwide, with over 400 species critically endangered and more than 100 more believed to be extinct. This is partly due to the spread of pathogens favoured by higher temperatures. For example, the demise of around 70 species of harlequin frog in Central America has been attributed to a pathogenic fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which has thrived due to rising temperatures in the frogs' highland habitats.
As the climate changes, microbes must adapt, and this presents opportunities for pathogens to move about and evolve in unknown ways that may increase virulence and host range. As humans move to new environments to avoid the impacts of climate change, they may encounter novel pathogens against which they lack natural immunity. Human evolution simply cannot keep up with these rapid changes. For example, fungi, which typically infect only room-temperature creatures or impact humans only on a skin level, are adapting to higher temperatures. Research has shown that the fungus Candida auris has adapted to survive at temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius, breaking the thermal barrier that once protected humans from infection.
Furthermore, climate changes that impact the life cycles of disease vectors may also influence disease incidence. For instance, the spread of Lyme disease, transmitted by ticks, may be impacted if nymph and larval seasons overlap due to warming temperatures. Since 2005, the number of vector-borne disease cases in the US has doubled, and 10 novel pathogens have been discovered.
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Invasive species: The impact of invasive species on native communities, habitats, and ecosystem functioning
Biotic pollution, or biological pollution, refers to the impact of invasive species on native communities, habitats, and ecosystem functioning. The introduction of non-native species into new environments can have detrimental effects on the existing ecosystems, leading to negative consequences for the economy, environment, and even human health.
Invasive species can directly impact native species populations through predation, herbivory, and the introduction of new diseases. For example, the brown tree snake (*Boiga irregularis*) caused the extinction of nine bird species on Guam, and the hemlock woolly adelgid (*Adelges tsugae*) has decimated eastern hemlock trees by feeding on their sap.
Invasive species can also have indirect effects, such as altering the food web by destroying or replacing native food sources, competing for resources, and modifying the habitat. Plant invasions, for instance, have been shown to alter carbon and nitrogen cycles and fire regimes in invaded ecosystems. The invasion of downy brome (*Bromus tectorum*) in Western U.S. grasslands has led to more frequent and intense wildfires.
Invasive species that grow and reproduce quickly and spread aggressively can cause significant harm. For example, lake trout are native to the Great Lakes but are considered invasive in Yellowstone Lake as they compete with native cutthroat trout for resources. Similarly, invasive carp are spreading rapidly in the Illinois River and are now threatening to invade the Great Lakes. With no natural predators in North America and a high reproductive rate, they pose a significant threat to native fish species by competing for food and habitat.
The impact of invasive species can be quantified using tools such as the Biotic Index and the online system BINPAS, which calculates the biopollution level. These assessments help measure the magnitude of the biological invasion and its effects on population, community, habitat, and ecosystem.
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Frequently asked questions
Biotic pollution, or biological pollution, refers to the addition of something harmful to the environment, which causes adverse effects on nature conservation areas, economic consequences, and human health.
The level of biotic pollution is measured through a biotic index, which assigns scores to individual species based on their tolerance to pollution. A high score indicates sensitivity to pollution, while a low score indicates tolerance.
The process involves assessing the abundance and distribution range of a non-indigenous species (NIS) in a specific area. The abundance can be ranked as low, moderate, or high, and the distribution is scored based on the number of localities where the NIS is found.
Biotic pollution can cause a decline in the naturalness of nature conservation areas, negative economic consequences, and impacts on human health. It can also lead to species extinction, altered distribution of plant and animal species, and increased sensitivity to climate change.
